Shadow Realm
by DarkSilk
Summary: The sequel to "Terra's Shadow". This story follows Shadow and his journey to do the 'right thing'. No one likes to do it, but eventually everyone must re-evaluate what is important... just how far will one man go?
1. Prologue

Prologue

**_-Shadow Realm-_**

Each drawn breath rattled in her lungs, a searing agonizing pain that tore through her once-strong body.  With the new world came new problems; the illness that had taken hold of her was mysterious and powerful, no healer they had sought out seemed to know what was wrong with Celes.

            The once proud General was a pale, dim image of her former self, stubbornly clinging onto life and suffering more than anyone thought was humane.  Her wispy blonde hair clung damply to her brow and she was a wraith against the mattress of the bed in Locke's house.

            Somewhere, a clock ticked ceaselessly, each second counted was one more drawing nearer the hour, and there was no near end to this agony in sight.

            _'How far the mighty have fallen' _she thought, staring at the moonlight filtering through her bedroom window here in Figaro.  Celes had always imagined she would die in battle, not sick in her bed like a helpless child.  When the illness had first started to deteriorate her strength and health; she had gone through a whole cycle of denial, and then believing she had done something to deserve it.  

            Locke had found her, and he had taken care of her just like he had promised.  This General did not feel sorry for herself, or mourn for the things she had not done and would not get the chance to do, no, she mourned for the pain she was putting Locke through.  He had stayed awake by her side day and night when she had worsened, though he was not here now.  

            The woman smiled faintly to herself, laughing softly before the small expression of humor dissolved into coughs that racked her fragile form and left her trembling violently.  What a nightmare this was.  

            Locke had bought her a puppy when they had arrived in South Figaro.  It was a sled dog, which were not common to this area, and unspeakably adorable.  The puppy was also unspeakably evil.  She was fat with no fur on her stomach yet, light red in color with a pronounced white 'mask' over her pudgy face and piercing blue eyes that seemed to be filled with nothing but hunger and the desire to chew on things.  Celes had named her 'Kodachi' though the name got shortened to 'Kodi' soon afterward.

            It had been nearly a month since she and her roguish love had journeyed to the Thyzalian islands on a whim in search of treasure, meeting with Terra, Shadow and Interceptor on the way.  In that time, Celes had begun to fade away at an alarming rate.

            Sensing eyes on her, the pale woman turned her face towards the door to see that it was opened and there was a man standing in the threshold, silhouetted by the lamplight in the hallway.  Licking her dry, cracked lips, she tried to make him out.  "Locke…?"

            "No." 

            Her brow furrowed in confusion.  "Shadow?"

            Nodding slowly, the assassin stepped quietly over the threshold and entered the dark room, a glass of water in one hand.  He set it on the night table, frowning softly down at Celes, pulling off one glove to reach down and press the back of his hand lightly to her forehead, almost wincing at the burning fever he felt there.  

            "I was coming to give Locke his share of the money from the Djinn Pool… remember? We spoke about an hour ago…" Celes was delirious in her fever; he admired the lucidity she managed to hold onto at all.  

            "An… hour?" The water was ignored, and she lay back against the mattress, trying and failing to remember that conversation.  Shadow was dressed as she remembered him; in black, with a katana sheathed over his shoulder.  How much time had passed since she last saw him? It felt like years.  "Where is Locke?"

            The man looked over his shoulder to the shape of Interceptor in the doorway behind him.  The dog-fae was silent, offering a faint whine and a wag of his tail in comfort before he turned and left them alone… something about that bothered Shadow a whole lot.  "He took Kodachi for a walk.  He came to tell you… he sat down on the couch in the living room and fell asleep.  Do you want me to get him for you?"

            "No." Her voice was a hoarse whisper as she shook her head in the negative; her blue eyes were as intense now as they had ever been.  "Have you come… to kill me?"

            Clyde snapped his attention back to Celes, unsure if he had heard her correctly.  Any feelings he might have had were kept off his face with practiced ease. '_She's delirious…the fever is really doing a job on her mind.' _Finally he spoke; his voice was no more than a quiet whisper.  "No, of course not.  I am going to get Locke." 

            "Please?" The strong woman's face crumpled as she begged, her voice small and childlike as she reached out a hand towards the apparition of death before her, who had turned his back on her in preparation to leave.  "Please… don't make me suffer anymore… it hurts… I am… I am not strong enough." 

            Where was Interceptor? Clyde felt cold with _something_ that was not fear.  He was unaware he had clenched his fists until he forced his hands to relax, flexing his fingers and glancing over his shoulder.  "You don't know what you're asking." 

            Celes lowered her hand, a crystalline tear slipping down her hollow cheek.  "I do.  I do not want to die like this, please Shadow… Clyde, I beg of you… every day that passes kills Locke more and more, I just want it to end…" 

            She sounded lucid enough, and he tried to ignore the way her breaths sounded ragged and pained as she struggled to speak.  He could only imagine how difficult it was to lose someone bit-by-bit, helpless to stop it.  Clyde did not want to imagine it.  This was madness, why hadn't he left the room yet? "Locke would never forgive me… even if it was the right thing to do, you know that."

            Celes licked her lips again, a pain in itself.  Her voice was trembling and desperate now, a whisper that was barely audible now.  "He doesn't have to know." 

            He did turn to face her then, to see her eyes, just how serious she was.  Was that the fever talking? No.  The poor girl… she really didn't know what she was asking of him.  There were times when he wondered, given the chance, if he would do things in his past differently.  "You're sure?"

            There was a firm, single nod before she began coughing again, shuddering hard and trying to sit up.  Celes let out a soft wail of despair, finding herself too weak to even sit up.  She was aware of the weight of Clyde sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, strong hands on her shoulders helping her to sit up.  

            "Thank you…" Celes felt the man flinch when she slipped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, letting her eyes close as she just embraced him.  She really was grateful for the favor, of being released from this pain, and releasing Locke from the agony of watching her die.  She did not ask Shadow how he wanted to end her life.  She trusted him to take it from her; he was a professional.

            "Are you afraid?" As soon as the words left his lips against her ear, he had to wonder why the hell he was even asking.  What did it matter? Were people afraid when they died? He was fairly certain most of his victims never knew what hit them until they were face to face with their deity.  Celes felt so small as he held her, he was startled that he had not noticed how bad she was before he had left her in Mobliz the last time.  

            "More curious than afraid…" She admitted with a faint smile, though he could not see it.  "You feel so cold…"

            'You feel so cold'.  She was burning with fever, he probably felt like an ice cube in comparison.  Celes had not meant anything more by those words he was certain, but they would stay with him for a long time.  

            "You're so nice to me…" The murmuring against his shoulder was contented and she was clinging to the assassin as if she were a child.  

            "What are you talking about? I was never nice to you."

            "Sure you were… Shadow? Clyde? I know… I am asking a lot of you… but will you look after Locke?"  

            Something told him to explain to her that Locke did not need to be looked after, and how the hell would he do that, anyway? He wasn't the one that protected everybody, he was the one that killed people, remember? From his belt he withdrew a dart, thinking it a little ironic that this was how he was going to kill her.  The second time he had used a poisoned dart on her, wasn't it?   "I promise." 

            Celes nodded slowly, her hands sliding over his shoulders and she let her eyes close again.  "I think… that Terra will take care of you, Clyde." Drawing a deep breath, she suppressed a cough, managing to breathe out the words.  "I am ready." 

            "Just relax…" He kissed her, just below her ear and reached up to stroke her hair with one hand, a goodbye of sorts, and the tip of the dart pierced her skin accurately and with his trademark precision, delivering the deadly dose of venom with no pain.  

            He heard her sigh softly.  It was a quiet and quick way to pass from this world to the next.  Her form began to relax against his until he was holding her up with one arm, the life slipping away as if it was grateful to be released.  Pulling the needle tip of the dart from her skin, he rubbed his thumb over it to ensure that there was no mark Locke would find.  Leaning forward, Clyde gently lowered Celes to the bed and swept his fingertips over her eyes with a final glimpse at sky-blue.  

            He had never seen anyone look as peaceful in death as she did, and heart-achingly beautiful.  This man knew and understood that life just wasn't fair, but he was almost angry enough to say something about it.  Carefully and with a kind of reverence and respect he had never shown her in life, he placed one hand over her heart and drew up the blanket around her.

            Shadow stood from the bed and smoothed the covers where he had sat.  It looked as if the woman had died peacefully in her sleep, without a sound.  He said nothing, because there was nothing to say, and that was fortunate because his throat felt uncharacteristically tight.  What had he done? 

            _"You did the right thing, Clyde.  She was suffering much more than she let on… I know how difficult that was for you."  _

Interceptor's voice in his mind almost broke him, but he managed to turn his back on Celes and slip from the bedroom as silently as he and entered, the glass of water he had brought was left untouched on the nightstand.  _"This is what I do."_

            "No, mercy-killing is not what you do.  You don't have to pretend for me, you never did.  It hurts, I know.  It is not fair that she asked you to do it, it is never fair when a loved one asks you to end their life." 

            Locke was asleep on the couch in the living room, with Kodi curled up against his side and sleeping just as soundly.  Sliding the sheathed sword from his shoulder, he rested it against the side of a chair and dropped into it, leaning back and sighing heavily, eyes closing in a sudden weariness.

            Interceptor rested his head on Clyde's knee in an offer of comfort and to assure his partner that he did not disapprove of his actions.  _"You're a good friend, Clyde."_

_            "We'll see how good a friend I am when Locke discovers the love of his life cold in her bed.  I promised her I would take care of him, and I didn't mean it.  How am I going to do that, Pup? How…? I can't, I have other obligations…"_

_            "You'll do the right thing." _

_            "I'll try, Pup."  _He never should have gotten involved.  He should have left Locke and Celes to their suffering.  What had possessed him to stay? He had offered Locke no consolation.  

            Somewhere in the house, a clock ticked ceaselessly.   

(Author's note: Yes.  I killed Celes.  Sorry, no one is going to cast Life2 and bring her back; death does not work that way in my fictions.  Also, I never seem to put disclaimers. So this is it: I don't own these characters, I don't make money off of this.)


	2. Chapter One - Promises

He had never thought of the rain as miserable.  The rain was as good a cover as the dead of night for working.  Now it was a cold and driving cliché, the kind of downpour that was so thick one could tilt back his head and take a deep breath and drown in it.  Clyde should have moved on two days ago; but he was still here, and he was not entirely sure why.

            The voice in his mind that was not Interceptor told him it was because he had promised.

            Locke had refused any help with Celes, and he had been out here for hours with the shovel, oblivious to the rain, consumed with the sound of the shovel in the earth, mucking wetly through his task of digging a grave.  Clyde should have left then, but he had stayed, out in the rain, glancing to the drops of water that pounded the lid of the coffin waiting to be laid to its final rest.  

            The assassin's attention returned to the grave when Locke pitched the shovel onto the soggy grass and tried to climb out of the hole he had dug, his hands sliding in the mud as the sides of the grave began to cave in with the rivulets of rainwater.  Clyde waited for a count of five heartbeats before he uncrossed his arms and moved forward, not giving Locke time to protest the help before he clasped the younger man's wrist firmly and helped him out of the hole.  

            "I'll do it," Locke shoved off the help once he was up, his voice an eerie monotone.  The rogue staggered to the coffin and nearly fell onto its lid as his face broke.  Feet sliding in the muck and wet grass, his hands fumbled for the handles on the sides, attempting to drag it into the grave.

            "Stop." The single word fell from Clyde's lips in a soft but vehement hiss that commanded attention.  He did catch Locke's attention, and the younger man froze, his wide smoke-gray transfixed on the dark apparition that was Shadow looming over him.  Although Clyde's face was not masked, he was not any less intimidating in that moment.

            "Stop," He repeated himself, albeit gentler this time.  "You're exhausted.  Let me help you lower the casket into the grave, you are going to drop it if you do it alone." 

            Swallowing hard, Locke hung his head and nodded in defeat, allowing Shadow to move in and help him lift the casket, which weighed next to nothing with Celes' ruined mortal coil lying inside of it.  

            Clyde went first, currently being the strongest of the pair, he crouched and lifted one end of the box, moving carefully for Locke's sake, backwards to the yawning grave.  As soon as he felt the edge crumbling under his heels he nodded a warning to the thief and dropped down into the hole, muddy puddles splashing as he braced the weight of the casket without letting it slip from his grasp, holding his arms above his head so it was not tilted too steeply.

            Once Clyde had steadied the coffin, Locke dropped into the grave as well to lower it to the ground.  Shadow hesitated a moment, then he jumped easily clear of the grave, crouching at its edge to aide Locke out a second time, though this time there was no protesting.  

            Shuddering hard with emotion, Locke went for the shovel, intending on finishing this task, but Shadow's firm hand on his shoulder ceased him yet again.  "Go home."

            "I'm not done yet…"

            "Go home." Clyde insisted a second time, reaching to wrest the shovel from Locke without much effort and giving him a light shove away from the grave.  "Go take care of the dogs, you're finished here." 

            The thief stumbled a bit, clenching his fists when the tool was taken from him and Shadow wordlessly began to fill in the grave with heavy mounds of mucky earth, his motions strong and steady.  "Damnit…" he breathed.  "I want to finish… I want to do this alone!"

            Without pause, Clyde responded smoothly in a firm voice.  "You're exhausted.  I can do this much faster than you.  Do you want her grave to fill with water? Just go home, Locke." 

            He was going to argue further, but he was too heartsick to do it.  Nodding brokenly, the young man let his gaze linger on the sight of the dark man filling in Celes' grave and realized it was like some terrible metaphor, or just a nightmare.  Locke turned away.

*****

Night had fallen when Shadow returned to Locke's house.  There were not many people out in this weather, but the few who were stared at the soaking man who walked as if he liked the cold rain washing the mud off of his dark clothes, a shovel resting over one shoulder with the same ease he carried a sword.  They did not stare for long; a mere glance in their direction was enough to make them look away from the scarred man.  

            Setting the shovel to lean up against the side of the house, he let himself in, noting that it was dark and cold in here.  Wandering into the living room, he found Locke sitting on one end of the couch.  It looked like he had showered at least, and changed into clean, dry clothes, and he was holding the sleeping puppy, Kodi, like she was a baby, occasionally kissing between her pointed little ears and staring off at nothing.

            Clyde felt the water dripping off of him and onto the floor, glancing to Interceptor who was lying at Locke's feet, looking up to him with sad, brown eyes.  He sent a thought to his partner, though it did not seem that Locke would have heard him even if he spoke aloud.  _"How bad is he?"_

_            "As bad as can be expected.  He lost someone he loves, of course he is going to be bad, Clyde." _One hundred and some odd pounds of dog lifted his head and promptly sneezed, which was an indicator that the dog-fae was unsettled.  

            "Locke?" 

            "You're back…" Apparently, he had just noticed.  Taking in Shadow's appearance, he realized that it was done, and Celes' was buried out in the cemetery.  Absently, his hands stroked over the sleeping puppy's peach-fuzz fur.  "…Thanks." 

            Clyde had a hard time accepting thanks when he was the one who had killed Celes.  Yes, she was dying, and yes, it was a mercy slaying, but he had a feeling the grieving young man would not see it that way.  Perhaps the assassin felt responsible enough to want to help bury the girl.  He just nodded, moving to the wood box beside the fireplace and pile some logs into the cold hearth.

            "You're wet…" Locke seemed to just notice that as well, peering at Clyde in a kind of daze.

            "I'll dry off." 

            "I want her back.  I wanted more time.  I… I would've taken her place if I could... I… I just couldn't…" Locke's voice made him sound about ten years younger, like a lost little boy as his voice broke and he sucked in deep breaths between his words.  His sudden shaking woke the puppy in his arms, and she started to whine and squirm.

            Clyde almost cursed under his breath, looking over his shoulder at Locke.  The man was falling apart right before his eyes and he didn't know what the hell he could do or say to make it any better.  What, should he do? 'Mercifully' kill Locke, too, and end _his _suffering? "There was nothing you could do."

            The puppy squirmed and whined louder, nipping at her master's fingers.  "I… don't know what to do… I feel like I'm dying… I can't do this again…" 

            Abandoning the fireplace, Clyde got to his feet and walked over to the young man, taking the puppy from him and setting her down on the floor where she promptly pounced Interceptor and tried to climb over his back.  "Pull yourself together…"  

            Seeing someone fall apart was an ugly thing.  Seeing the haunted madness lurking behind someone's eyes was even worse, because Clyde had seen the same thing many times before, nearly every time he looked into a mirror.  The way Locke was looking at him was disconcerting, and for a brief moment he wondered if the thief knew about the 'mercy' killing.  

            Rising slowly from the chair, Locke kept his eyes glued to the other man's face, his gray eyes widening slowly.  "You'll be leaving in the morning."

            Since it was not a question, Clyde did not feel the need to answer.  Instead he just took a step back, putting some respectable distance between himself and Locke.  

            "Take me with you."  A single stride closed the distance between them, and both of the rogue's hands were on Clyde's shoulders, gripping tightly with a hint of desperation that would have frightened most people.  "I can't stay here."

            Everything in his being screamed for him to grab Locke and shake him and tell him 'No fucking way!', but instead he just stared.  Guilt sucked dangerously at his mind, guilt for killing Celes and the promise he had made to take care of Locke.  He needed to see to Relm and Interceptor first, and Terra was waiting for him in Mobliz, how was he going to do this? 

            All sensible reasoning told him to leave right there and then, but something in the way Interceptor was looking at him from the floor made him reconsider.  He didn't want a Human partner, he didn't want a friend on this trip, he didn't want anyone other than Terra to know about Relm, and he sure as hell did not want to be responsible for any more people than he already was.  "All right." 

            The two words seemed to have a profound effect on Locke, because he crumbled against Shadow, uncaring that he was wet and still muddy from the grave digging, he just was reaching out desperately for a shred of comfort.  There was a choked sob in his throat.

            Clyde could not remember having broken down completely in front of anyone before, if at all.  Locke was utterly vulnerable; bearing his proverbial throat to a man he hardly knew but trusted for some reason.  Part of him wanted to shove the young man away, but fortunately it was the other, less familiar part that drew up an arm across his shoulders and let him have it out.

            _"He needs you, Clyde.  Just like you needed me back then." _Interceptor spoke gently to his partner as he tried to keep the puppy occupied.  Kodi was not the brightest dog he had ever met, but she was a baby, and she sensed something was wrong.  Those wicked little needle teeth chewed on one of the larger animal's paws.  

            _"I know, Pup.  I feel like I'm floundering, though.  I don't know what to do for him, I killed his girlfriend for fuck's sake!" _Pushing Locke away slowly, he patted him awkwardly on the shoulder and gestured towards the couch.  "Go on and lie down.  Seems stupid, I know, but you'll feel better when you wake up."

            "Fuck…" Locke dipped his head and drew his sleeve across his eyes, ashamed at his state but unable to help himself.  Of all the people he could stand to see him this pathetic, he never thought it would be Shadow.  "Just don't leave, okay? You'll be here when I wake up?"

            Clyde nodded slowly.  "Yeah, I'll be here." 

(Author's note: A short first chapter, but it seemed like an appropriate place to stop.  I'm depressing myself for fuck's sake….*frown*  but things'll pick up.  I won't give too much away, but I will follow up on everything I intimated at in the first story.  Thank for reading, as always, and I hope to see some reviews soon!)


	3. Chapter Two - Nokodi

_Terra,_

_I hope this letter finds you well.  _

_I wish I could write that I had better news for you.  I came to South Figaro to give Locke and Celes their cut of the 'prize' money and found that Celes had fallen gravely ill.  From what Locke has told me, she was ill for several months and her health only recently took a sudden turn for the worse.  I am sorry to say that she passed away the day I arrived.  _

_As you can imagine, Locke is devastated.  He asked if he could travel with me, and I agreed.  I am sending this letter to you from South Figaro, and if you would like to contact me, send word on to Maranda and I will receive it when our ship arrives there.  From there, we go on through Albrook, and board a second ship that will take us to Thamasa.  I will continue to correspond with you and I will try and convince Locke to write you as well._

_Love,_

_Clyde_

            "Wait!" He had second thoughts, dashing to the window of the mail office as he saw the carrier pigeon flying off towards Mobliz.  Narrowing his eyes, he considered just picking off the bird with a shuriken and stopping the letter entirely, but with so many onlookers, he just shook his head and let it go.  

            Interceptor seemed amused; thick pink tongue lolling out of his maw and the canine was laughing, if not out loud, in his partner's mind.  _"Interesting… 'Love Clyde', huh? Why didn't you write her a little poem?"_

"Shut up." 

            "I didn't say anything…" Locke was holding Kodi under one arm like a fuzzy ball with teeth that kept on squirming, far more interested in the cages of carrier pigeons than was healthy.  He looked up and blinked at Clyde, furrowing his brow.

            Shaking his head, he stepped out of the message service after tossing the clerk a few coins, pointedly ignoring his stoic dog that padded along after him.  "I wasn't talking to you.  We're leaving now." 

            Locke nodded; traveling light as always, he had a bag with some bare necessities in it slung over one shoulder.  Filing out of the mailing office with a thoughtful glance over his shoulder to the birds being dispatched over the world.  "I've always wondered… in a world where we can have flying ships and magick of ever conceivable kind… why don't we have a more efficient way to deliver letters?"

            "What would you suggest?"  From behind the cloth that obscured his features, the master assassin's voice was softer than it had been the past couple days, but he never failed to make himself understood.  

            "Well… why not use magick? I've seen teleportation spells.  Why not set something like that up in each mailing office in every town? Just…zap the letters here and there.  More efficient, and less likely that important correspondence is going to be lost.  And, it would cut down on the cost of care for the birds." 

            The younger man did seem to be faring better today, but Clyde knew from experience that it was mostly a show.  He was trying too hard to be chipper, but this ninja-assassin sure as fuck was not going to try and stop him.  Of course, that did not mean he had to smile and nod, or indulge stupid ideas, either. 

"Maintaining spells like that would require an incredible amount of energy and time.  Each office would need to employ a horde of wizards and sorceresses just to keep them operating for more than a few hours in a day.  And, it is much cheaper to care for the birds –which are rather effective- than it would be to pay couriers to carry the mail by say…chocobo, ship, or train.  Right?"

Locke Cole's mouth hung open for a moment, he had been about to refute that, but Shadow was making perfect sense.  He just nodded as they headed through the streets of South Figaro.  "Yeah…that's right, I guess.  I didn't think about it." 

"Learn to think before you speak, it's a good habit to have." 

_"Think before you speak… or, think before you write… things like 'Love Clyde'."_  Interceptor could not help but throw that in once again, it never hurt to take Clyde down a notch or two, all in the name of good fun, of course.  

Shadow did flick a glance in his partner's direction before he addressed Locke, seemingly ignoring the comment about the letter.  "Are you training your dog? What's her name again?"

The rogue actually grinned, though it was brief.  "I don't know much about training dogs, and I hear this breed isn't really easy to train anyhow.  I think she's just along to keep me company.  I call her Kodi, but her name is Kodachi." 

"Kodachi, huh?" Clyde actually sounded semi-interested in the conversation.  He was used to carrying on for long stretches without exchanging even thoughts with his partner, he surprised himself by striking up talk with the other man.  He supposed that it was his way of keeping Locke from slipping into brooding and depression.  Not that he cared, of course.  

"Mmhm.  I was thinking: Nokodi, though."

Clyde thought on that for a moment, just nodding.  It did bother him after a few moments and he had to ask: "I can't say I've ever heard of a 'nokodi' before."

Chuckling, Locke shrugged.  "Well, just hang around her for a little longer.  It kind of goes like this: 'No, Kodi! Put that down! Bad puppy! Kodi…Kodi...no! Nokodi!'… you get the idea." 

Through this, the fat puppy had turned her head to look up at her master, wagging that little curl of a white-tipped tail and her blue eyes nearly bugged out of her head, those little triangle ears at attention.  Clyde caught himself laughing at the mental imagery.  

_"Oh… how cute is that?" _Interceptor lowered his head, trying not to look at the puppy.  He had never seemed to like dogs too much, even though he chose to be one, and offered no real explanation.  

"Why are we going to Thamasa?" Locke was aware that they were headed for Thamasa, but the details of why were not clear.  A part of him was suddenly concerned that he was interfering with Shadow's work.  

_"I knew this was coming." _Clyde slid his thumb under the shoulder strap of his sheathed sword, picking his words carefully.  "We are going to see Relm and Strago."

The thief nodded slowly, even smiling a bit as he looked to Kodi.  "Heh… I kinda miss that foul-mouthed little brat.  Did you have some business with Strago?"

"Something like that.  I had some questions for him." Which was not entirely untrue.  He imagined that the old blue mage would have a few choice words for him, not to mention a whole lot of questions.  Strago had held his tongue the last time Clyde had seen him, but that did not mean he would be spared this time.  

*****

"Love Clyde?" Katarin smiled slyly over her tea, waggling her brows at Terra.

Leaning back in the chair at her kitchen table, the half-Esper laughed softly at her friend's teasing, shrugging and folding the letter carefully, and Kat quickly snatched it up for her perusal.  "Just a formality, don't read too deeply into it."

Clucking her tongue, the dark-haired girl sighed and shook her head sadly.  "I am so sorry to hear about your friend.  She sounded like an incredible woman… it was awfully nice of Clyde to look after Locke."

Yes, it was indeed very nice.  It made Terra smile softly to herself, her fingertips stroking over the glass of her mug.  Poor Celes… she could only imagine how awful it must have been for Locke to watch her become so ill.  It made her feel guilty for the jealousy she had felt for the couple initially, there was much more between them than she could have guessed.  

The odd part was knowing that Clyde had no affection –in fact, he seemed to hate- Locke, yet he was offering to let the young man travel with him to Maranda and Thamasa.  Would they both come to Mobliz afterward? 

"You know what we should do with some of that gold, Terra?" Kat set down her mug and tapped a fingertip on the table to emphasize what she believed to be a good idea.  "We should have a memorial built for your friend, Celes, and something to honor the rest of you as well.  I mean, you guys are heroes! None of you have gotten the recognition and thanks you deserve." 

"There are plenty of those at Figaro castle…" Terra blushed a little at the thought of being hailed as a hero.  She had never thought of it that way.  "Though a memorial for Celes would be a nice gesture." 

"What about this Clyde fellow?" Standing from her chair and sweeping off her apron, Katarin went to the kitchen window to make sure that the children were still playing in sight.  "You seem to like him." 

If she thought about Celes, she was going to start crying again, so Terra welcomed the slight change of topic.  "Yes… I do.  He keeps on surprising me… though, you don't seem to care much for him."

Deciding that all of the youngest were accounted for and playing nicely –albeit messily- near Terra's garden, Kat turned and leaned back up against the counter to face her friend, shrugging.  "We got off on the wrong foot, I didn't get the best first impression… but if you say he's a good guy, I'll take your word for it." 

"I think I am going to write a letter and send it to Maranda, to make sure that it gets there on time." Terra announced, walking to a drawer for some paper and a writing utensil.

*****

_Dear Clyde,_

_I am so sorry to hear about Celes, please give Locke my love and condolences.  Your letter found me well and happy to be home.  I have nothing terribly exciting to report except that my garden is flourishing and Reiji's front teeth are growing in! _

_With this letter I am sending my favorite ribbon.  Relm admired it some time ago, and I had promised to give it to her, but I completely forgot about it until I saw it in my drawer yesterday.  Please give it to her for me, and my best wishes.  _

_I am sorry this letter is not longer, I have too much to say and my pen cannot keep up with me.  I will end it saying that I miss you and I look forward to hearing from you soon.  _

_P.S. Give Interceptor a kiss for me and tell him 'hello'.  _

_Love,_

_Terra Branford_

*****

Clyde sat on the edge of his bed reading the letter he had received from the message office in Maranda, smiling faintly and pulling the ribbon from the envelope, twining it through his fingers as he inspected it.  

He remembered the satin ribbon.  It was disgusting then, and it was disgusting now.  It was a very bright pink with delicate stars and moons embroidered into the soft, rich material, and it had tassels on the ends.  The tassels were fine and nearly invisible, with tiny glass beads dangling from the ends that were cut to catch the light and glitter like diamonds.

The color was all wrong for Terra, it was loud and childish, in his opinion, but he could see why Relm had admired it and it suited his daughter much more than it did Terra.  "That was thoughtful of her… none of us got gifts, except for you." He glanced over to Interceptor who was occupying Locke's bed, pretending not to like snuggling with the adorable-but-evil puppy, 'Nokodi'.

_"Me? What did I get? If you try tying that ribbon on me I swear I'll hurt you, Clyde." _Opening one eye, the dog-fae peered over at his partner with a soft sniff of amusement.  

"Terra says here," Holding up the letter, Clyde pointed to the 'P.S.' written in the half-Esper's surprisingly choppy and blocky script.  "…that I am to give you a kiss for her."

Interceptor promptly closed his eyes and curled back his lip in a low, rumbling growl that failed to wake up the soundly sleeping puppy at his side.  _"I really am going to hurt you.  Why don't you go find where Locke went off to and let me sleep already.  This devil-puppy has been keeping me awake… why do I have to pup-sit her anyway?"_

"Because you're good at it." Chuckling, the Human of the pair stood from the bed and stretched, taking a look around in their small but comfortable quarters.  After the supply ships to and from the Thyzalian islands, this was a luxury cruiser.  Well, the Sea Lark was more equipped to carry passengers. 

It was early in the evening, and Clyde figured by this time tomorrow they would be at the port in Thamasa.  The journey to Maranda had been an oddly pleasant and peaceful one when Locke wasn't keeping him awake trying to show him ridiculous card tricks.  The assassin had to admit that some of the card tricks were pretty impressive; he would bet Setzer couldn't pull off half of them. 

The young thief's spirits seemed unusually high for someone who had just lost a loved one.  Clyde knew it was not true, the boy was miserable, but he was overcompensating.  Everyone had his or her own way to handle grief, he supposed.  At the moment, Locke had wandered off to get something to eat in the small lounge/cafeteria aboard the ship and Clyde had not expressed interest in going along.  

Leaving his sword behind, -though not unarmed, naturally- Clyde did not hide his face and he had abandoned the black garb for the moment.  Without Interceptor, there was no one who would really know who he was, anyhow.  Avoiding people in the corridors, he ascended from his quarters on a wide staircase, heading for the dining area with Interceptor's voice following in his mind.

"Bring me back something to eat! Bird… no… lamb… no, beef! And nothing spicy! Get Kodi a bone, too, I think the little bitch is teething." 

_"Anything to drink with that, Sir?" _Sarcasm was thick in his thoughts, and the man dipped his head, smirking a bit to himself.  

"A nice dry red, if you please.  Oh, how about something with cheese on it? And dessert? If there's any cake, bring me some! Oh! And pie, anything that doesn't have berries or nuts, they get stuck in my teeth." 

_"I'll try and remember." _He knew by now what his partner liked and didn't like, and he supposed a soup bone for the puppy to chew on was not a bad idea… 'Nokodi' usually chewed on Interceptor.  That dog was awfully patient with the 'little bitch' as he put it.  

As he neared the lounge he heard a commotion, someone was obviously having a shouting match and it sounded like there was glass breaking.  People were crowding near the double doors to try and see what was going on.  For some reason, Clyde groaned under his breath, knowing that the noise had something to do with Locke.

(Author's note: Well, a little lighter.  Those reviews came fast, thanks everyone! Reviews always make me get these chapters up faster, heh.  I try and get as much out as I can before I suffer from a mental block again.  I'm really surprised with the way the first story went, I have good feelings about this one.  I won't have more than one project going at once, that'll help me focus this time.) 


	4. Chapter Three - Knowledge

(Author's note:  For some reason AGAIN dialogue done in italics does not always show up once the chapter is uploaded.  AGAIN I will go back and try and correct the errors.  Enough of my bitching.  Thank you for the wonderful reviews, and to everyone who has read this far.  

I finished FFX and… well… I feel like I got ripped off.  I spent many hours doing all the side quests and whatnot only to discover –I should have known, it's true to FF fashion- that I could have probably kicked the final Boss's ass very early on in the game.  I won't spoil it for those who haven't played, I still say do the side quests but if you get frustrated with them DO NOT PANIC, you do not need them to complete the game.  Now, on to Grandia II! It's… uh, it reminds me a lot of Shining Force, and it's about as much of a cakewalk so far as the first one was.  I'll tackle FFIX after Grandia II.

Wow, long note.  Sorry! On with the chapter!

It would seem that 'eating' had really meant 'getting bloody trashed' in Locke-ese, because it was very obvious that the rogue had downed more than his share tonight.  Clyde did not even care who had started it, but he did wonder if he should help end it.  At the moment, Locke was not doing well, which was sorely disappointing, and the assassin shook his head.  Locke was faster, and stronger than this, but the alcohol had made him clumsy and slow, and he was being pasted bit by bit by the other brawler.  

The dining area was rather elegant, accommodating only the first class passengers; which Locke and Clyde were, naturally.  Locke had insisted on treating them, though Interceptor and Shadow were content with less.  

So this was not just a brawl; it was a first class brawl, which only meant that the quality of the alcohol consumed was probably much higher than your average scrap.  Clyde chose to remain in the background, wondering how long it would be before security-type figures stepped in to put a stop to the disturbance.

The bar was long and U-shaped, polished to a shine and now littered with broken glass, as was the floor around the sitting area.  Locke's opponent was a man who did not look like much of a bruiser, more like a noble –one of many- on a pilgrimage to see the new world.  The man was around Locke's own age with coal-black hair and intense blue eyes that looked much more sober than the thief's.  Clyde cleared his throat, tapping the shoulder of an onlooker, a waiter.  

"Excuse me… what the hell is going on here?"

The bland waiter in the serving smock turned to regard the scarred man, gesturing towards Locke and the stranger.  "The one with the sandy hair was apparently being… a little too friendly with the dark-haired man's wife."

Locke lurched forward in a clumsy and awkward manner that made Clyde wince, because he saw the retaliation coming a mile away.  Sure enough, the dark-haired opponent stepped back to brace himself and drove his fist hard into Locke's stomach.  While he doubled over, Locke then wrapped his arms around the other's waist and tackled him to the ground.  There was a distinct crunch of broken glass; a yelp of pain, and the treasure-hunter pushed himself up atop the other man, a barrage of furious and drunken fists assailing his victim's face while an attractive young woman screamed for him to stop.

Well, so much for discretion.  Clyde pushed past the waiter and the rest of the onlookers, slipping by the screaming woman to stand behind Locke and wrap an arm around his neck from behind, prying him off of the unfortunate man.  It was difficult not to grin, seeing the rogue manage to get the upper hand even while completely obliterated off of what smelled like whiskey. 

"Just me.  Come on, let's go." 

Locke seemed to calm down a little once he recognized Clyde's voice, letting the other man pull him off of the victim, who was now bloodied and messy.  Gritting his teeth, he gave the man a final kick to the ribs, turning to face his companion.  "Did you see that? That… bastard… he tried to break a bottle over my head."

"Right.  Let's go.  Now." Clyde really hated having to repeat himself, aware that the bouncer and bartender were watching them closely, and the patrons seated around the tables in the lounge were staring unabashedly.  

"You sure?" Locke was grinning, though Clyde didn't imagine he would be when he saw the black eye he was going to have, and those knuckles looked more than a little messed up from the wild and uncontrolled punches.  "Don't want to have a drink or something?"

The other said nothing, just gripping Locke by the upper arm and escorting him out of the lounge and into the wide corridor of the ship, his steps brisk and hurried to get the rogue back to their quarters before he caused any more trouble and got them thrown overboard.  Clyde did not prefer swimming in the ocean.  

"Hey… hey, c'mon… I didn't get anything to eat…" Locke was mumbling, twisting to try and free himself from the other man's steely grip.  "Whatsa matter with you anyway?"

No one had followed them, and so it would seem that there would be no retaliation.  At least not yet.  Clyde knew that a drunken brawl on a passenger ship was hardly uncommon, and there would likely be no action for a few hours, and someone would come and preach about fines.  Sure, between the two of them, they had enough gold, platinum and funds in the form of rare jewels –carrying millions in gold was not practical or easy- to buy a whole fleet of ships, but it was the principle of the thing.  Clyde did not like paying for stupid mistakes.  

"Nothing.  I just thought you should come back and take care of your dog.  Take her for a walk and get her something to eat."  There was no point in lecturing Locke.  What good would it do, especially if he were drunk? None.  Besides, the hangover and bruising would be punishment enough the next day.  

Locke slung an arm around Clyde's shoulders, leaning on him a bit as they walked.  "Heh… did you hear that guy yelp when I tackled him? Yeah…that was great."

"Most people would yelp if they were tackled onto broken glass…" Clyde muttered, supporting Locke as they navigated the corridors, getting a few looks from the other passengers and crew, but seeing a man helping his drunk friend was not unusual.  

"You're all right, you know that?" The treasure hunter patted Clyde's chest, losing his footing for a moment before he recovered.  "I like ya.  Wow… I haven't been this drunk in… ever."

The older man let out a sigh and continued walking, having to pull Locke to get him to turn a corner and keep from taking out a couple that were walking hand-in-hand, smiling faintly and apologetically when Locke waved a greeting to them and complimented the girl on her looks.  Clyde had been this bad… once, after he had fled Thamasa.

"We're here… forgot my key.  Shit, hold on…" Trying to support the drunken Mr. Cole with one arm, Clyde patted himself down for something to pick the lock with.  

"Got it." Locke disengaged himself from his companion and leaned heavily on the door, closing his eyes partway and slipping something from his sleeve, a bit of bent wire he slipped into the simple lock, and after only a moment it clicked in response, and the thief nearly tripped over the threshold when he stumbled into the room.

_"He's quite talented." _The master assassin thought to his partner, who appeared to be sleeping, but was quite awake, ears perked at attention. 

_"And drunk.  I guess that means you didn't bring me back any supper…" _The dog opened one eye and peered at the pair as Clyde closed the cabin door, nearly sneezing at the strong smell of whiskey.  

Sighing, Clyde shook his head, combing nimble fingers through his wheat-colored hair.  _"No… sorry, Pup.  I'll get you something in a bit; can you hold out that long? Not going to wither up and die on me, are you?"_

            "Hey, baby! Look… lookit, Daddy's back…" Locke was talking in a disgusting baby-voice that the puppy immediately responded to, blue eyes snapping open and she scrambled to get to her feet, her little pink ribbon of a tongue lolling out over needle teeth.  

            _"On second thought…I'm suddenly nauseous." _Interceptor muttered, closing his eyes again and groaning rather loudly.

            "Yes, yeeesh, she's a cute wittle badness, huh? Yes she is… oh yes she is," Locke was grinning like an idiot, picking up his puppy and kissing her between those little triangle ears, reaching out with his free hand to stroke over Interceptor's head.  

            _"You and me both, pal…" _It was kind of funny, he supposed.  "Locke… let's go up on deck and let her walk around for a bit.  You need to sober up anyway." 

            Glancing over to Clyde, the thief nodded slowly and tucked Kodi under his arm.  "Yeah, I could use some fresh air… hey, Clyde, know what? I haven't been seasick this whole trip, you notice that? Remember how bad I used to be?"

            The corner of Clyde's mouth twitched a little and he shook his head slowly.  "No.  I don't remember that at all."

            "You don't?" The younger of the pair moved carefully, swaying a bit, to the cabin door and seemed confused by the handle until he managed to pull it open.  "On the ship from Vector to Thamasa… remember how seasick I was? Man… I was puking all over the place…"

            Clyde dipped his head and made sure the door was closed after Interceptor graced them with his presence with a long sigh.  "No.  I don't remember.  I do vaguely recall making a promise to you, however…"

            As Locke stumbled in the hallway, laughing to himself and speaking more nonsense to Kodi, he sucked in a breath of realization.  "Ohm… right, I did say that, huh? Right, right, right… well, that was nice of you not to tell anyone…"

            "I'm just a nice guy, Locke." 

            Interceptor made a sneezing, coughing sound of canine laughter, having to stop in the hallway for a moment so abruptly Locke nearly tripped over him.  _"Ah… you better keep an eye on those two, I'm not jumping into the ocean to rescue anyone who happens to fall overboard." _

"Yeah y'are…" The thief nodded in agreement, feeling warm and fuzzy and suddenly companionable.  Then he frowned, stopping at the stairs that would take them out onto the deck of the ship.  "Except when you tied me up… and choked me… and when you hit me in the head with the rock… and tried to rob me…and poisoned Celes."

            "All in good fun." Clapping him on the shoulder, Clyde reached out to gently ease the puppy from Locke.  "Let me go up first.  You better use both hands on that railing." 

            The assassin almost flinched when Locke mentioned poisoning Celes, not that the treasure hunter would have noticed it in his current state.  Clearing his throat, Clyde used long-legged strides to climb the stairs quickly and felt worlds better to be greeted by a fresh cool salt breeze.  

            _"Pup? You want me to go and get you something to eat?" _Clyde offered to his partner, feeling the warmth of the small puppy squirming against his chest, it was not an unpleasant sensation.  He had not held a puppy since he was a boy.  

            _"Silence, traitor." _Interceptor growled softly in his throat, causing a few other passengers enjoying the mild evening to move away from the intimidating animal.  _"You just enjoy your 'new' canine friend, don't mind me at all… I'll just… starve." _

Clyde almost laughed, reaching down to rub at Interceptor's ears momentarily before he wandered across the planks of the deck for a suitable place to let the puppy walk around, Locke following behind a few paces, suddenly quiet.

            "I miss her so much…" Locke whispered in a soft voice that was young and strangely sober, drawing up to a railing and looking out across the ocean with a haunted expression.

            Clyde had a feeling this was coming, and he had tried to avoid an uncomfortable situation.  Crouching, he set the red and white puppy on her feet and she toddled over to Interceptor, her light brown nose twitching as she took in the new scents surrounding her.  Clearing his throat, he spoke quietly.  "I know."

            "I let Rachel down… I couldn't protect her.  I couldn't do anything for Celes… all I could do was just… watch." 

            If he started sobbing, Clyde wondered if he could just knock the young man unconscious and drag him back to their quarters.  "She was sick, Locke.  You're not a healer, you're not a doctor, what else could you have possibly done?"

            "Nothing, I guess…" Locke conceded, turning his head to watch Clyde out of the corner of his eye, a strange expression on his face.  He moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue, fingers tightening their grip on the sturdy railing.  "I'm really drunk."

            _"He's starting to get creepy.  Am I like this when I drink?" _He asked of his partner, watching Kodi attack a small piece of rope, shaking it vigorously and nearly knocking herself over in the process.  "I noticed." 

            _"You're worse.  That's why you don't drink, remember?" _Interceptor kept an eye on the puppy to make sure she didn't slip under the railing, wrinkling his nose in distaste when she squatted to piddle on the deck.  

            Locke cleared his throat and turned to lean back against the railing, looking to Clyde fully.  "I prolly wouldn't say this if I were sober… but fuck it, I've been thinking about it since we set out…" his voice trailed off and he looked to the dogs.  "Are you… going to retire? I mean… if you settle down with Terra, are you going to… you know… quit being Shadow?"

            That was an interesting thought, and not one Clyde imagined Locke would bring up.  He could argue that Shadow was a part of him, and not something he could just 'quit' but instead he just shrugged.  "If…_if_…I settled down, then yes… I would retire.  Why?"

            "Are you going to?" Locke pressed.  "Settle down, I mean."

            Clyde shrugged nonchalantly.  

            "Why did you go after the Djinn Pool?" Leaning heavily on the railing now, the thief stifled a yawn.  It was still not terribly late, but the days had been taking their toll on his weary mind and body.  "Was the money better or worse than… being a mercenary.  I always thought the money was better in treasure hunting." 

            "Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.  It depends on the skill of the assassin or thief, doesn't it? If you're a better 'treasure hunter' than a murderer, for instance, then stick with what you know… and vice versa." These long speeches were rather uncharacteristic, but Clyde found they were also more and more frequent as of late.

            Locke nodded slowly, reaching up to untie his bandana, glancing to his cut and bruised knuckles, absently wondering if they were broken.  "So why didn't you stick with what you knew, then?"

            The reason was that Clyde had not wanted to give his daughter blood money, it was a moral issue, but he was not about to say such to Locke.  "I happen to be multi-talented.  You probably aren't so fortunate, so just forget whatever it is you're thinking."

            _"You know, Clyde…sure, the kid is drunk, but this is a thought he has had for some time.  Maybe you should hear him out." _Interceptor bowed his head and closed powerful jaws with unbelievable care on the scruff of Kodi's neck to reposition her when she toddled too close to the railing.  

            _"Hear him out? What exactly is he saying, Interceptor? If he is considering taking up my profession, that's his business, not mine." _ His 'voice' was probably shorter and much more laden with irritability than Clyde had intended.

            "Clyde? Would you help me train Kodi like you did Interceptor?" The thief was inspecting his knuckles closely, flexing his fingers and finally wrapping his bandana around his left hand.

            The other arched a brow only slightly.  He loved it when people thought he had trained Interceptor to be the incredible, intelligent and obedient animal he was… and his partner did not seem to mind too much, but he never actually had to prove he knew a damn thing about dogs.  "That particular breed is incredibly difficult to train." 

            "She's a smart puppy, I think.  And she seems to like learning new things, I bet she'd be a challenge, but I could do it." Locke smiled faintly.  Kodi reminded him of Celes with those big blue eyes.  That was where the similarities ended, naturally, but in his current state everything was reminding him of Celes.

            Clyde shrugged again.  "I suppose it's worth a shot.  If it doesn't work, she seems good-natured enough that it wouldn't be a waste."  Actually, Kodachi seemed like an airhead of a dog, but all puppies seemed that way.  Time would tell.  _"You know anything about training puppies, Interceptor?"_

The dog-fae canted his head and seemed to arch a brow as well, examining Kodi, who was engrossed in trying to bite her tail at the moment.  _"I know a thing or two.  You're the 'master' though, the great dog-trainer, why are you asking your mere servant about such things?"_

"Well? Will you help me train Kodi?" 

            Roused out of his conversation with Interceptor by Locke's voice, Clyde glanced to the younger man.  "Train her to do what, exactly?"

            Now it was Locke's turn to shrug, losing his nerve as he sobered up.  "Dog things.  Sit, stay, speak, fetch… don't bite me, don't pee on the floor… stuff like that."

            _"How about it, Pup? Is she beyond hope?"_

_            "I…might be able to help you a little, the rest you can do on your own.  I…we…haven't got much time, Clyde…" _

He had almost forgotten that he was parting ways with Interceptor in Thamasa.  A soft sigh escaped him and suddenly Locke's depression was contagious.  Sure, Interceptor would be with Relm, and the kid needed Pup more than he did but… "We'll help you train her."

            Locke smiled and nodded his appreciation, letting the other subject drop for now.  It had not escaped his awareness that Clyde was going above and beyond the call of duty to help him in his time of need.  It did make him wonder just how much Terra had to do with that.

            "Do you think I should… send Terra a letter from Thamasa?" Scuffing the toe of his boot against the planks of the deck, Locke drew a deep breath and chuckled as he watched Interceptor with Kodachi.  He could swear that Shadow's dog liked puppy-sitting.  

            Actually, he thought that Locke should just forget about Terra completely, there was that small part of Clyde that was still cautious of the half-Esper's feelings for Locke.  "I think you should.  I've written her a couple times." He left out the part about her condolences.  It would sound hollow coming from him.  

            "Relm… I know she's your daughter."

            It took quite a lot to shock or stun Clyde Arrowny, and Locke had succeeded immensely.  He was not quite sure how much of it registered on his face, but it was more than enough if the treasure hunter's reaction was any clue.  Clyde said nothing, ignoring the speculative way Interceptor was regarding him, and turning his stony gaze out over the sea.

            Almost immediately after he had spoke, Locke regretted having voiced his knowledge.  Scratching at the back of his neck in obvious discomfort, he could almost feel the heavy tension that had suddenly developed between them.  "It's… I mean… I knew a long time ago… Relm knows, too, she's the one who told me.  But no one else knows, except for Strago, I swear!"

            Still Clyde said nothing. He just shook his head slowly, keeping his expression carefully neutral.

            "He… we… thought you were dead.  I guess Strago… he thought it would be right if he told Relm the truth.  I guess she was pretty messed up about it, and before we left them in Thamasa, she confided in me and asked what I thought…"

            "What did you tell her?" 

            Clyde's voice cut through Locke's fumbling like a knife, giving the thief pause.  After a moment of silence, the younger man pushed off the railing and moved a little closer to Shadow, drawing up alongside him, kind of wishing he was as drunk as he had been half an hour ago.  

            "I told her… that I didn't know what to say, and that she shouldn't be upset because there's always more to the story than anyone really knows.  I guess she was mostly frustrated because she couldn't confront you herself." Glancing over to Clyde, he was hoping for some kind of response, he could not read the man at all.

            That made sense.  Strago knew who he was, why wouldn't he tell Relm? Why hadn't he thought of this before? Maybe he had been trying not to think about it.  Clyde set his jaw, not moving a muscle, though he spoke to his partner.  _"What do you think?"_

_            "I think you half expected this, and it shouldn't change anything.  She's an eleven-year-old girl, Clyde, you shouldn't be so afraid of facing her.  Telling her the truth would have been the hard part, and now that it's done, you might be pleasantly surprised." _Interceptor had the gift of being just what Clyde needed him to be, and now he was to the point, reasonable, and comforting in his own way.

            Finally the assassin turned his head to look at Locke askance.  "You pretended you had no idea why I was going to Thamasa.  I didn't suspect for a moment you knew anything." 

            "Heh… well… it really isn't my business.  I… just thought you should know, that's all." Locke shrugged a bit sheepishly, stooping to pick up Kodi when she sat on the toe of his boot and looked up at him.

            With a brisk nod, Clyde turned away and made his way to the stairs that would take him down into the corridor, intent on returning to his room without a word to Locke or Interceptor.  Not that he was angry with them, he simply was not in the mood for discussion, and he was not particularly comfortable knowing that Locke was fully aware of his situation with Relm.  

              
  



	5. Sorry, not a chapter, just some interest...

(Kor's Note: Sorry folks, this isn't a chapter, but there is a chapter in the works as we speak! Er… type! Read! Whatever! This piece of work below is not mine.  This is the work of a gentleman named Adam, taken from his website at http://web.weyland-yutani.net/qrowh/shadow.html and posted here with his permission.  The reason I posted it is because I used his research and insights as my information source when writing Terra's Shadow and Shadow Realm.  He sticks to facts, and adds in his input with the numbers.  Any Shadow fan should read this and test his/her knowledge! Not to mention is a great wealth of info for anyone writing a Shadow fic.  If you like it, please let the author know! You can email him at: qrowh@hotmail.com , though I believe the links to his email and website are at the bottom of the page.) The Curious Tale of Clyde Arrowny Story 

Well, in the beginning, there was a mysterious person in black you followed into a bar (Cafe, what a joke) in South Figaro. He's so tough he'd "slit his mama's throat for a nickel." If you approach his dog he warns you that it eats strangers. This is Shadow and his faithful dog Interceptor. Strangely enough, in the drawings I've seen of Interceptor and Shadow, Interceptor is big enough for a small person (or moogle) to ride on. Anyhow, you leave him in the bar and go on with your business.

He next shows up in Sabin's scenario and offers to accompany him to South Figaro. He goes with Sabin through the Imperial Base and is there to meet with Cyan. Cyan is in a frenzy over the death of his family and his people, yet Shadow is strangely silent(1). After the Phantom Train scenario, when Cyan is grieving over his wife and son, who had just departed on the train, Shadow tells Sabin to let him be.(2) When you make it to Baren Falls, Shadow takes off from the party(3).

The next appearance of Shadow(4) is Kohlingen where he offers to join your party if you give him 3000 GP so he can feed his dog (5). He'll go with you unless you go to Narshe, where he'll leave stating that he doesn't feel welcome(6). If you don't go to Narshe, he'll go with you to Zozo until after you meet Terra, and the party is going to split up. Locke asks him whether he's going to help them, but Shadow says, "There's no need for me to remain with you." and leaves. (Thanks to Daniel for Shadow's line)

If you wait until after Zozo to get him from Kohlingen, he'll follow the party through Jidoor and into the opera house on the party's way to the empire. He will, however, take off after the first act. The Impresario will tell you that he left a message saying that if he were there for another five minutes, he would have fallen asleep.(7) This leaves you with only three characters in your party, which results in only two characters after you lose Celes before the mine cart.

His most interesting appearance happens soon after this when Locke and Terra, led by General Leo, are working for the Emperor to make peace with the espers. He is hired by the empire to work alongside Locke and Terra with Celes showing up as well. During the boat ride, Terra is into her annoying "I wanna know what love is" stage. Shadow converses with her, on the deck since he'd rather sleep under the stars(8), warning her that "There are many others in this world who have killed their emotions like me." Later, Locke does his cool seasick scene, and Shadow promises not to tell anyone about it.

After they land on Crescent Island, you have the first time in the game where you can fight without worrying about Shadow deserting. In Thamasa, you meet Strago and Relm. Interceptor takes a liking to Relm, and Shadow seems surprised that Interceptor is so friendly to her(9). After the conversation, where Shadow is kind of blunt and commands Interceptor to come wih his, he says "Don't misunderstand me, I just wanted my dog back"(10)

At night, a house catches on fire with Relm inside. Locke tries to get Shadow to go with them to help, but he appears to be heavily asleep. Interceptor, however, follows Locke and Terra. Shadow then wakes up and calls for Interceptor, but he's not there.(11)

In the house, after you find Relm and Interceptor, some flames begin to attack. Shadow drops in from the roof and destroys them. He then saves the party using a Smoke Bomb.(12)

In the morning, the party meets with Strago and Relm. Interceptor plays with Relm while the adults talk. Shadow says he'll go off on his own, and the party nods. He calls to Interceptor and goes off.(13)

After General Leo is killed by Kefka, the party is paying their respects at his grave. Interceptor shows up wounded, and the party assumes that Shadow is dead. Fortunantly, Shadow shows up on the Floating Continent saying that the Empire betrayed him, as they did to all. The party wants him to join them, but he just asks whether Interceptor is alright, and tells them to leave him. The party refuses, so he joins up.(14)

After Atma is defeated, Shadow does his little disappearing act once again(15). Kefka is pushing the statues around as part of his med delusions The party is paralyzed by a a spell, but surprisingly, Shadow comes jumping in and traps Kefka in the statues. He tells the party not to worry about him and to get out, he'll be right behind.(16) The party gets to the edge with the continent shattering behind them and waits... and waits... and waits... and finally he shows up joking(?) about how he has to survive or he'll never get his pay.(17)

In the World of Ruin, Interceptor shows up in the Veldt cave and leads you to a wounded Shadow. The party takes him to Thamasa to recover(18), and when the return, they find that he has left for the Colluseum.(19) At the colluseum, they bet the Striker, a weapon found in the Veldt cave, that apparently Shadow had been searching for.(20) They fight Shadow and beat him. He then joins the party and says that he wants to find how far he can go in the Colloseum. 

During the talk-showy soul-searching, stomach-wrenching talk with Kefka, Shadow's statment is how he's been taught the meaning of friends... and family.(21) During his ending, he splits off from the party and sits down in a remote corner of Kefka's tower. He tells Interceptor to leave him and says, "I'm not going to run away this time, Baram."(22)

Footnotes 

1. Either he doesn't care, is unable to figure out how to cope with the situation, or is harboring emotions of his own.

2. He seems to know that Cyan needs grieving time for the death of his wife and son.

3. This may have to do with his and Baram's flight from ?? (Take a look at the area where you land, and look where dream #3 takes place.

4. If you didn't meet him in South Figaro, the first time you meet him anywhere else, he says "the reaper is always a step behind me"

5. He shows a strange sense of humor in this game.

6. Maybe he's been here before...

7. Either way you play it, he still knows of the plan to get to Vector... Also, is this the real reason he left?

8. Maybe a dislike of enclosed spaces. (Jail?)

9. Interceptor has never shown any friendliness to anyone in this game. Even with Shadow it seems to be only loyalty. Except in the ending and dream #5...

10. He seems to feel uncomfortable with the whole situation. 

11. Shadow may not have been sleeping. Lack of caring, or does he have a different plan?

12. He doesn't go through the whole house. Was this his plan? In and out in under a minute. Sounds good...

13. The party seems to understand how uncomfortable he is with Interceptor playing with Relm.

14. He doesn't care about himself, just his dog.

15. Ta-taa! I've helped you guys, now I'm going to go. Or is he planning an escape route ahead of time?

16. He assumes he'll be able to hold Kefka (with the powers of the goddesses) and be able to escape in time.

17. He does make it. And his strange humor shows up again. Another joke about money. Hmm...

18. Why Thamasa? Dream #5 shows up here

19. On another mission?

20. That's why he was in the cave, although he seems to pass right by a seemingly obvious treasure chest. Actually, he passes by all of them. He actually stays with the party from now on, though. 

21. What friends? He just works for the money, doesn't he? What family?

22. Run away this time?

Dreams 

1. Dark, nightmarish. Two guys, Baram and Clyde. Baram tells Clyde to come and save him. Clyde asks Baram where he is. Blasting sound. Dream ends.

Dream 2:

Setting: Forest (looks like the Phantom forest) with a train in the background. Baram and Clyde walk down from the train area

BARAM: Yahoo!  
We did it, Clyde!

CLYDE:A million GP!  
What a blast! I love this!

BARAM:Guess it's time to  
change our name.

CLYDE:Our name?

BARAM:We need something  
more...appropriate.

BARAM:Such as? - this line is a F***up. This should be Clyde.

BARAM:...Shadow!  
Not bad, huh?

The background disappears as does Baram. Blasting sound.

CLYDE:Great train robbers of  
the century...  
Shadow...?

Dream ends.

(Note: Shadow: Great train robbers - plural as in "we are Shadow.")

Dream 3:

All is dark. Baram is lying down, Clyde is standing next to him. They are both drawn as if under the effects of a Vanish spell. 

CLYDE:Open your eyes!

BARAM:I'm scared...hack,  
cough...  
Is...is this MY blood...?

CLYDE:You're gonna be okay!

Background appears and character's full sprites are visible. It looks like the place where you meet Gau after falling off Barren Falls.

BARAM:I've let you down...  
I'm sorry...

CLYDE:Save your strength,  
we're almost to a town.

BARAM:You don't have to  
pretend. I know. I've lost...too  
much blood.

Clyde takes a step back

BARAM:Get going!  
I'm gonna slow you down.

CLYDE:But...!

BARAM:You wanna get caught?

Clyde steps back forward and looks down at Baram. He looks back up and starts to walk away.

BARAM:Before you go...  
You have to use your knife...

Clyde turns back toward him.

CLYDE:WHAT!!!!

BARAM:Think what they'll do to  
me if I get caught.  
I don't want to go through that.  
Do me this favor

Clyde walks slowly up Baram and turns toward him.

BARAM:Are you...shaking?  
I can't believe it!  
You're acting like a coward!  
Come on, you weakling!  
Grab a knife and...

CLYDE:I CAN'T!

Clyde starts to run away

BARAM:Clyde!!!

Clyde looks back

CLYDE:I'm sorry...

Clyde runs away. Blasting sound

BARAM:Clyde!  
How dare you!?

Dream ends.

4. Clyde is wounded, he is in a town. A dog barks and goes up to him. A woman approaches his to tell him that she'll help him out, and that he's in a town called Thama... He is in an area that looks like the center of Thamasa. (As noted in a previous article, it seems like she's going to say Thamasa, but trails off when she sees how badly he's wounded.)

5. Clyde is leaving a house. A dog follows him out. He tells the dog to go back and stay with the girl. The dog follows him. Dream ends.

If you let Shadow die on the Floating continent, you'll find Relm in the Veldt instead. Although Interceptor's still there... 

Relm's dream: Strago and Relm are at home. Interceptor goes out the door. Relm asks Strago "When's daddy coming home?" Strago doesn't know. Dream ends.

Other clues 

Memento ring: Can only be use by Relm and Shadow. Works on love of Relm's departed mother.

Person in Thamasa: Tells of rumor that Relm isn't Strago's real granddaughter. He's just taking care of her for a friend. (NOT Gungho).

Thoughts 

Shadow is an interesting character. He seems to have his own plans in life, even while working for others. He know that the others are going to Vector. He shows up there on his own after leaving the party. He shows up to save Relm, using his own more direct route. He scouts ahead to find the escape from the Floating Continent. He stays to make sure that Kefka won't escape. He has his own agenda, which seems to differ from time to time.

He cares more for his dog than himself, and at times puts others ahead as well. He's not completely selfish, and seems to get better near the end of the game. Maybe he wouldn't slit his mama's throat for a nickel :). Interceptor's his only constant companion, and he wants to keep him close. Indeed, Interceptor does follow closely throughout the whole game.

He seems to have some past grief and doesn't cope with it. This seems to be the death of his wife, Relm's mom. This idea is reinforced throughout the game. He understand's Cyan's grief at the loss of his wife and son. He may have "killed his emotions" to avoid grieving over his wife. He probably left Thamasa to disassociate himself.

Puzzling, however, is his sudden ability to kill with apathy. Maybe he killed his conscience along with his emotions. Also, why is he surprised that Interceptor is friendly to Relm? He seems to be the dog that met Clyde in Thamasa. Maybe Shadow lost his memory. Killing his emotions may have driven him mad temporarily and fried his memory.

At the end of the game, he is searching for the Striker, and almost gets killed. The Striker has the extra ability of killing instantly. Does he want this just to help his assasination or for other purposes. Perhaps he wants to use it to try to make up for his inablility to kill Baram

He stays with the party at the end. I think he wants to kill Kefka and is helping the party to accomplish that. He may want the Striker to kill Kefka...

These are my thoughts, and more may follow. In case you're wondering, I wanted to write for Shadow in the FFRPG, and delved into his past for this. E-mail me with your thoughts, or just post them. It doesn't really matter.

Email your thoughts to me

Going back? 


	6. Chapter Four - Wet Dogs & Chocobos

(Author's note: Sorry this took so long to get up, I've been quite distracted lately, and it had nothing to do with video games.  I work like a dog! But, I will make an effort to get the next chapters out sooner, and I apologize again for the delay.  Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing!  

Oh, and here's your disclaimer for those who say I never use them.  I don't own any of these characters EXCEPT for Kodi.  Kodi is my dog.  I financed her; I have the papers to prove it.  Err…so I guess she's really not a character as much as she is a living breathing Siberian Husky.  For those of you interested in adopting/buying a Siberian Husky, I hope you have a lot of time and patience they are **extremely** high maintenance.  They love to dig, and chew, and run, and they have an uncanny knack of problem solving…opening gates, latches, sliding glass doors, refrigerator doors, cupboards, figuring out the button that opens the garage, etc.  Also, they aren't very loyal.  Friendly, yes.  Loyal, no.  You could raise the little whelp by hand every day of her life and she would still abandon you for the next-door neighbor with the slice of pizza.  They also make extremely poor guard dogs.  Some more fun facts! Yay!) 

Clyde had decided many years ago that he hated Chocobos.  The noises they made grated on his nerves bit by bit, and he swore they had a distinct stench that made him nauseous.  Locke claimed that they did not stink, and that they were easy to care for and ride, but Clyde maintained his position.

Perhaps he just felt stupid riding on a big yellow bird that ran with its pointy tongue lolling out.  

Interceptor loped alongside the birds easily, making it seem as if they were slowing him down, and they probably were.  The sun was riding low in the sky, and the winding road was bringing them towards their destination.  

Locke, for one, was just happy to be done with the sea part of the voyage for now.  He was thoroughly shamed for his actions on the ship, though Clyde was not the type to keep rubbing his face in it.  Although his companion was quiet most of the time, the thief did get the impression he was being given plenty of consideration, perhaps even kindness.

"We should see the town once we get over this hill," Locke remarked as he felt the bird slowing its steady pace as they began climbing a large, gradual slope.  Kodi was nestled on the bird between the saddle horn and Locke, nodding off occasionally until a jolt or an interesting smell roused her again.  Occasionally the puppy would whine, wanting to be on the ground with Interceptor, but with her stubby legs she would never keep pace.

_I remember,_ Clyde thought to himself, nodding in acknowledgement.  Outwardly he was the epitome of calm and collectiveness he always was, but inside was a different story.  For someone who considered himself a master at quelling his emotions, the sudden onslaught was almost unbearable.  He would not back down, but that didn't mean he was looking forward to seeing Relm.  Perhaps Locke was right, and it would be easier now that she already knew the truth, but what if it wasn't? What if she hated him? What would it feel like? He could only imagine, and his dreams hadn't painted the scenario kindly of late.

Clearing his throat, the treasure-hunter spoke as they neared the hill's crest, reining in his Chocobo to give it a break.  He knew they were not in any real hurry, perhaps stalling just a little bit to give Clyde time to collect himself.  "You know… it's always better than you imagine it'll be." 

For a moment the other considered playing dumb, or deliberately misunderstanding Locke, but at the last moment he reconsidered.  "I know.  Maybe that's why I imagine the worst, so I'm not unpleasantly surprised." 

Locke nodded slowly, seeing the landscape unfold before him as they started the decline down the hill.  The road ahead wound through the smaller emerald-green hills, and at this distance the grass that covered them looked deceptively velvety and soft.  The setting sun created a scene that was heart achingly beautiful, like one of Relm's paintings.  The peaks of Thamasa could be seen in the shadow of an ominous mountain, wisps of smoke rising from the chimney's smacked of a warm and cozy atmosphere.  

"It never changes much." 

Clyde uttered those words in a husky voice, drawing his mount to a slow pace that it was grateful for after the steady climb.  It had almost taken his breath away this time, as it did every time.  This was the way he had come into Thamasa the first time, and even after the world had been ruined, it still stayed the same.  He had not expected the mere sight of the place to effect him this much, bringing back a flood of memories unbidden that were bittersweet and sick with nostalgia.  

"It has changed… hard to tell from here, but you'll see when we get closer," Locke frowned after he said that, thinking it sounded lame, but Clyde did not seem to notice he had spoken at all.  The assassin had a haunted expression on his face that was more than a little chilling.  "Clyde?"

"It'll be night by the time we get there.  Let's stop, we'll ride into town in the morning." He said suddenly, tugging on the reins to halt his Chocobo, dismounting in a smooth motion and cursing because his knees felt suspiciously weak.  It was from the ride, he told himself.

Interceptor had stopped and watched them over his shoulder with large ears at attention.  Slowly the limber animal turned back and loped over to them with his head down and eyes forward on his partner.  _"Clyde, are you sure? Putting this off may not be the best thing, but if you need time…"_

_"Just a little time, Pup." _He responded, drawing a deep breath and turning his gaze to Locke.  "Just for the night."

It was almost disturbing to see Shadow so visibly shaken, but Locke supposed he could understand.  After all, he had a past to confront and a partner to say goodbye to.  For a man like that, change must not be easy.  It didn't make sense to stop, it would be early evening when they reached the town, but Locke understood it was his place to be agreeable at the moment.  "Sure, that's fine by me." 

"Let's find a suitable place to stop, then."

Nightfall was as spectacular on this island as sunset.  It was balmy and warm; it smelled like fresh tilled soil and sweet grass, and the fireflies were countless drifting over the hills like ghostly stars.  

This area was not as heavily wooded as he was comfortable with, he felt exposed and out in the open in the field they had camped in.  Their fire could probably be seen from the town, but no one had come to investigate.  Why was he being so paranoid? This was his daughter he was going to see, this wasn't a job.  The gnawing doubt and worry made his light meal sit badly in his stomach, adding to his already sour mood.

Behind him, at the bottom of the small hill they had camped at the base of, Locke and Interceptor were trying to get Kodi to sit, and unsuccessfully by the sounds of it.  Clyde chuckled despite himself, letting his eyes drift closed as he listened to Locke alternate between frustrated cursing and hearty laughter.  It was good to know that the young man was not wallowing in grief and self-pity.  That did not surprise Clyde so much; Locke was made of stronger stuff.  

A new scent had permeated the air in the last hour, the smell of rain.  By the way the clouds had rolled in to obscure the starry sky, he knew that it was not far off.  It started as a few droplets he felt on the backs of is hands and increased to a misty spring shower in less than a few seconds.  Clyde turned his face up towards it; the cooling sensation was not altogether unpleasant.

Locke cursed the rain that was dousing their campfire, which amused the assassin even more.  Lowering his head, he licked the rainwater from his lips and blinked it out of his eyes, looking over his shoulder to the man and two dogs at the bottom of the hill.  Locke was scrambling to roll up his sleeping bag and put away the clothes he had set out by the fire to dry from being washed in a creek earlier.  Yapping gleefully, Kodi was scrambling around the dying campfire, chasing Interceptor who was not even pretending to dislike it.

It was a peaceful moment, and Clyde always secretly cherished moments like these.  Life did not have to be complex to be full, which was a lesson he had learned many times over and still refused to abide by.  

While watching the comical scene beneath him, he caught a flicker of motion in his peripheral vision.  It was just a flicker, and it was easy to miss with the way the rain and gentle breezes were stirring the grass, but he had been trained to notice things out of place.  There was something crawling in the grass towards the camp, and by the direction he guessed it was coming from the road.

Clyde did not rise up; instead he remained sitting in his hunched position.  With no moon and his dark clothing, he knew that a person crawling through the grass on his or her belly was not likely to even notice him sitting atop the hill.  Narrowing his eyes, he watched carefully, trying to determine if this was a person or an animal.  

_"Interceptor, you have an incoming.  To your right, in the grass." _Even Interceptor must have let his guard down, because Clyde saw the way he suddenly stopped and casually kicked off the puppy chewing on his leg.  

Tilting his head, the dog-fae scented the air, but the wind was not on his side.  _"I'll investigate." _

_"Why don't you intercept? Your name isn't Investigator." _

_"You're so funny…"_ Interceptor took a step forward but the needle teeth of Kodachi latching on to his back leg again halted him again.  Growling in annoyance, he whipped his head to snap menacingly at the puppy, shaking her off a second time.

Clyde smirked and shook his head, rising from his sitting position without a sound.  _"I got it, partner, go play with your puppy friend." _

The master assassin leapt from the top of the hill onto the slope, bracing himself with seemingly reckless care as the wet grass made for a perfect and treacherous slide down towards the campsite with little more than a whisper of warning.  Clyde grinned, again, despite himself as he reached over his shoulder and drew his blade.  Locke spotted him and blinked in surprise, taking a few steps back as the assassin's feet hit the ground at the bottom and he took off past the man and two dogs without so much as a word.

His mind spun when he was on the hunt, it was a beautiful thing he simply could not explain.  It was like time slowed down, and he was able to focus on the tiniest detail, predict the exact point where he would strike even a moving target.  Everything became like a tunnel, all focused on the point where he would hit.

The blade bit solidly into the wet ground with a whacking sound, halting the intruder, who let out a piercing shriek, freezing in place.  

Clyde's senses returned to normal and he stared in astonishment at the face with wide dark eyes that gazed back up at him from her place on the ground.  He had been so close that the little girl's fingertips just barely brushed the sword as she pushed herself up, mouth opening and closing as she tried to form words, which came out in a rough tumbling shout.

"What the hell are you doing?! You almost killed me!!" 

"Relm!" Locke exclaimed, walking up to the pair with Kodi under his arm and Interceptor at his heels.  The Chocobos 'warked' as they were startled by the shouting, and flapped their wings in agitation.  

Clyde felt annoyed and startled at the same time.  Annoyed that she had been sneaking through the grass and putting herself in very real danger; it was common sense not to try and sneak up on an assassin, and startled that she was out here in the first place.  How had she known they were here? 

Rising to her feet with Locke's help, the girl scowled at Clyde and wiped at the grass that clung to her, though it was ineffectual in soaking wet clothes.  "What are you doing out here? You told me you were coming into town, and I waited and waited but you didn't show up! Then I saw your campfire from my roof and I came out here to give you a piece of my mind!" 

Sheathing his sword, Clyde grunted lightly.  "We decided to wait until morning.  Why were you crawling around in the grass anyway? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" 

"I wanted to make sure it was you!" Throwing her arms up in an animated and exaggerated manner, Relm stomped her foot onto the soggy ground before drawing a deep and calming breath.  

Clyde arched a brow.  "How did you know we were coming?"  After his query, he sent Locke an accusing glance.

The thief cleared his throat, shrugging in a sheepish manner.  "I sent her a letter from Maranda and told her to expect us…" 

They were interrupted by another squeal from Relm as she lurched forward, lifting the squirming puppy from Locke and gasping in delight.  Her eyes lit up, forgetting that her father had just come at her with a sword.  "Oh! Is this the present you had for me?? Is it a boy or a girl? Oh, it's so cute! Look at those blue eyes! Thank you thank you so much!!"

Locke opened his mouth and started to say something, exchanging a look with Clyde.  He scratched at the back of his head over his bandana, nodding dumbly.  "Uh…yeah, I brought her for you… her name's Kodi." 

_"I just can't compete with cute…" _Interceptor lowered his head, grumbling into his partner's mind as he watched Relm gush over the puppy, which gushed right back and attacked her face with a pink ribbon of a tongue.  

Smirking, Clyde reached down to rest his hand on Interceptor's head, scratching fondly behind his ears.  _"Don't take it so hard, partner.  She probably never guessed that you wanted to stay with her.  She'll be twice as excited over you as she is over that stupid puppy, just you watch."_

_"Flatterer."_

Relm tucked the puppy under one arm, giggling as Kodi squirmed, her attention sliding to Clyde for a moment and then to Interceptor.  Holding out her free hand, she bent over as she walked to the large dog and smiled, speaking in a soft, but not a babyish voice.  "Hi, Interceptor.  Missed you, too.  Don't worry, you're still my favorite dog-person." 

Now it was the dog-fae's turn to be surprised, and he exchanged a look with his partner.  He was certain Relm had not been listening in on their conversation, but he had forgotten what a perceptive child she was.  Stretching his neck, he licked at her hand and when she crouched down for him, he leaned in to stroke her face with his rough tongue until he knocked her back onto the grass.  

Clyde felt left out of the scene, but he understood if Relm didn't feel warm and fuzzy towards him.  Why should she? He was a stranger to her.  At least Interceptor's feelings were salvaged.  Thankfully, it was Locke that interrupted the moment.

"Well, kid, since you're here, why don't we take you back home?" He suggested, still scratching at the back of his head, not quite sure why he hadn't told her that Kodi was his dog.  Maybe seeing how excited she got had made him bite his tongue, he didn't have the heart to disappoint her.  

Relm looked up to Locke from the ground with Kodi crawling over her lap and Interceptor lavishing her with attention.  She grinned a bit, nodding.  "Yeah, okay.  We have the guest room set up for you guys, hope you don't mind sharing a room."

"That's fine," Clyde spoke quietly, aware that there was already awkwardness between himself and the girl.  He gestured towards the Chocobos.  "Come on, you can ride with me… or with Locke, if you want."

The spitfire shrugged as if it didn't matter, speaking in an offhanded manner.  "I'll ride with you."

"Yeah?" He was admittedly surprised, arching a brow and looking to her over his shoulder as he started off towards what was left of their watered-down campsite to start gathering up their belongings.  He also noted that her hair had been cropped short and wild, which meant she probably wouldn't have any use for Terra's ribbon.  

"I said so, didn't I?!" Relm shot back, scowling again.  

"Easy there," Locke patted her on the head as he passed by to help pick up camp as well, grinning.  So things hadn't gone as planned, but still, they seemed off to a good start.  He, for one, was looking forward to getting dried off and eating a hot meal.  

Clyde wasted no time in gathering up his things, secretly pleased that the dreaded reunion had gone off so easily, with the help of a cute puppy and a cute dog-fae of course.  At least Locke had claimed responsibility for the gift of Kodi, he didn't want it to seem as if he were trying to win the girl over with gifts… though, wasn't he? No, his offer was not an attempt to win her over, he told himself.

Relm looked like a lost waif in her soaked shirt and overalls, blonde hair clinging damply to her brow as she wandered between the two men and eventually ended up near Clyde as he secured his pack.  Sniffling a bit, she adjusted the puppy in her arms and glanced over her shoulder to see if Locke was out of hearing range before she spoke.

"So, you'll be staying for a while, then?"

"No, I can't stay long," He responded shortly, straightening and walking over to saddle up his mount, wincing at the strong repugnant odor of wet Chocobo as he lay the damp blanket carefully over its back.  

Relm's expression hardened as she glared at Clyde's back.  "You have more important things to do than visit me?"

It was hard to believe she was just eleven years old with that attitude and tone, and the assassin looked to his estranged daughter with more than a hint of incredulity.  It was a rare person indeed that could make him falter, but he did.  "Of course not…"

"Then you'll be staying?" Relm pressed, her tone booking no argument.  "You owe me, and I have a lot of questions." 

Clyde went on the defensive naturally, securing the straps of the Chocobo's saddle and glancing to her out of the corner of his eye.  "How do you fig-" he stopped himself.  Snapping at Relm was not what he came here to do.  "I can't speak for Locke, but if you want me to stay, I will."

The girl nodded; satisfied that she had gotten her way.  "Good.  Locke? Are you going to stay for a while, too?" Shifting her gaze to the thief, that had been pretending not to hear the exchange of words. 

Locke tried to look innocent, but from Clyde's dark look and Relm's expectant expression, it was pointless to pretend he had been oblivious.  "Uh… sure, kid, I'd love to…"

Hugging Kodi lightly, Relm nodded again and smiled tightly.  "Good.  Let's get going, then." 


	7. Chapter Five - The Rain, The Night, And ...

(Author's Note: Thanks for being patient with me, here's a longer chapter chalk-full of Relm and gushy yucky drama.  There's more on the way, we're not as near to the end as you might think.  Thanks as always for reading and reviewing!)

Clyde had been in many situations that called for nerves of steel and a complete and utter devotion to the task at hand, but this was the most uncomfortable he could ever recall being.  It was his own fault, but somehow that did not make it any easier to get his feet to carry him through Thamasa and to the house he remembered so well.  

Locke had said that Thamasa had changed in the past year, but Clyde did not see it.  There were subtle differences such as new houses and new people, but those were not the kind that mattered.  It still had the same smell of laurel and sweetgrass, the same ambience of age and peace that stirred memories with a sharp pang of emotion.  Before they could venture to Strago's house, the Chocobos needed to be put up at the stables and Clyde volunteered to take the animals.  

Interceptor padded alongside him, like his tangible shadow, silent and alert for the short journey to the stables.  Rather than ride, Clyde opted to walk the birds, which were complacent and manageable after the long ride up the shoreline.  Lifting his head, he surveyed the area with bland interest as the stables, complete with the nauseating smell of Chocobos, loomed up before him.  Beside the stables there was a small shack where the caretaker lived, and there was a light on in the window.  He lashed the reins of the birds to a hitching post outside of the barn door and took the narrow rock path to the caretaker's house.  Grasping the crude brass knocker on the front of the door, Clyde rapped it three times in quick and firm succession.

            He waited for a few moments, hearing the barking of a dog from within and a gravelly voice telling the mutt to be quiet.  Heavy footsteps crossed a wooden floor and the door swung open to reveal the bear of a stable master.  

            Clyde had to look up at the mountain of a man, and he did not especially like having to do so.  The man was middle-aged and easily two hand spans taller than the assassin, wearing a thick cotton shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark, patched overalls.  Said caretaker scratched at salt and pepper stubble on his chin as he looked down at the visitor with an openly critical eye.

            "Kin I 'elp yeh?"

            _Fuck me…I remember this guy_, Clyde thought to himself.  How could he forget a man that big, with the one white eye like a marble?  He was not sure why he was surprised that the stable master survived the reign of Kefka.  "I have two Chocobos, I was looking to board them in your stables."

            Looking past Clyde, the stable master glanced at the birds hitched outside of the barn and nodded his head.  "Go on, 'den.  Prices're on th' barn door.  Ye kin pay when ye c'lect yer mounts."

            As trusting as ever, too, the assassin noted.  He had robbed this man of a prized Chocobo when he had fled Thamasa those years ago.  Obviously the half blind ogre did not remember who he was.  

            "Thank you," He replied smoothly.  "I will see you again for payment when I leave." Just as he was about to turn and depart, there was a snarling from the doorway and a mass of black fur stepped to its master's side, bearing yellowed fangs at the visitor. 

            A shuriken seemed to materialize from nowhere to drop into Clyde's hand on instinct as he stepped back from the angry dog.  The stable master's dog was a monstrous thing, almost twice the size of Interceptor, which was mind-boggling.  The caretaker might not have remembered the scarred man, but the dog certainly did.  Clyde had run into the beast when he had stolen the Chocobo from the stables those years ago and given it a snout full of campfire ashes and a kick to the ribs.  

            The hulking man seemed alarmed at the actions of his dog and he reached down to grasp it by the scruff of the neck and pull it back into the house, but he was not fast enough.  The mutt lunged.

            Prepared to kill the animal if he had to, Clyde was saved an ugly scene by his faithful partner stepping between himself and the charging beast with a lupine regality.  Interceptor lowered his head, his fur bristling and lip curling back from his white teeth in a demonic snarl as a low and rumbling growl slid from his throat.  It was more than enough to make the caretaker's beast halt in its tracks, almost nose-to-nose with the smaller Interceptor.  Both men watched as the black mutt whined, all the fight draining right out of him, thick rope of a tail snaking between its legs.  Interceptor did not back down until the challenger rolled onto her back and squirmed, whining pathetically.

            Chuckling to himself, Clyde turned his back on the dogs and the stunned stable master, heading towards the barn and the Chocobos.  _"Thanks, partner.  Killing the local pets isn't a great way to make a good impression."_

_            "Commoner." _Interceptor snorted in disgust, turning his back on the pair as well, loping to join Clyde.  _"I remember when that bitch was just a puppy.  She never liked me, anyway." _

_            "Little too bulky for your tastes?" _ Although his face betrayed nothing as usual, the assassin was secretly pleased for the distraction from his thoughts.  Interceptor had never expressed any interest in 'common' dogs, as he called them.  

            _"It was the strings of slobber ever-present on her jowls that initially turned me off." _ Interceptor's voice was tainted with his amusement at how easily he had cowed the enraged canine, but even that was faint.  

            Lapsing back into a comfortable silence, Clyde set about leading the Chocobos into the stable and finding them empty stalls.  With an ease and skill that may have surprised some people, he went about the mind numbing tasks of feeding and watering the birds, putting away their saddles and tackles.  

            Interceptor jumped up onto a bale of hay and circled a few times before he settled to lie on top of it, letting out a long canine sigh as he watched Clyde go about the tasks.  His partner was not moving terribly slow, but it was painfully obvious that he was indeed stalling.  Licking his muzzle a few times, Interceptor ventured to break the silence.  _"Relm is going to notice that you're not there, you know."_

            Without looking at his partner, the man murmured quietly as he draped a blanket over the back of one Chocobo, then the other.  The birds warbled contentedly, and one stretched its neck to try and nibble affectionately at the Human with its sharp beak.  "I need to collect my thoughts.  If she's waited this long, a few more minutes won't make any difference." 

            With a snort, the dog-fae dropped his head onto his forepaws, eying Clyde critically.  _"I see.  And here I thought you just wanted to spend some quality time with me." _

That brought a faint grin to Clyde's features and he stepped out of the Chocobo stall.  Making certain to latch the gate carefully, he crossed his arms and regarded Interceptor fully.  "That's not entirely untrue." 

            Other things to say came to mind then.  Clyde wanted to tell his partner that he would miss him, that he thought of him as a brother, and that he was going to be lost without his partner.  He couldn't be Shadow without Interceptor.  But, that was one of the best things about his canine friend; he didn't have to say those things.  

            _"You should get going back."  _The canine pointed with his muzzle in the direction of the barn door.  

            With a short nod, Clyde drew his fingers through his damp hair and started towards the barn door.  Apparently Interceptor was going to make him walk back alone, and although he did not like it, he understood it.  He was going to have to get used to doing things without his partner from here on out.  

*****

Relm was quiet, which was probably a concern to Strago.  The old man did not like this arrangement one bit, but he had given in when she insisted that Clyde stay here with them.  She imagined that her grandfather was still angry with her father, and she could not really blame him.  But, shouldn't she be just as angry? She was the one who had grown up without parents.  No one knew just what had gone through her mind when she discovered the truth after it was believed that Shadow had died in Kefka's tower.

            Clenching her fists and then flexing her fingers to contain her impatience, she looked to the puppy Locke had given her and smiled a little.  She had always wanted a dog of her own; the gift had made her happy.  Furrowing her brow, Relm looked over her shoulder at the front door.  Clyde had not come back yet; he sure was taking his sweet time.  

            Scowling at the rain drizzling over a windowpane, Relm folded her arms on the kitchen table and dropped her chin onto them.  The clock on the wall ticked loudly, and she found herself counting the seconds.  Upstairs she could hear the footsteps of Locke and Strago as her grandfather showed the treasure hunter to his room and they caught up on events since the last time Locke visited.  The girl did wonder where Celes was, as Locke and the Ex Imperial were never far apart these days.  She reminded herself to ask later.  For the time being Strago and Locke were giving her space without her even having to ask for it.

            Lifting her head abruptly, Relm turned at the sound of the front door being opened.  Somehow, it did not surprise her that Clyde did not bother to knock or ask permission to enter the home as a good guest would.  She was nervous, which was annoying.  Why should she be nervous? This was her house; he was the one that owed her an explanation, damnit.

            When he ventured past the kitchen door, Relm saw him pause and step backwards to see her sitting at the table.  Wordlessly he looked for the others, but for all she could tell, he seemed bored.  

            "They're upstairs," She supplied, some of her gusto diminishing.  That was not what she had meant to say.  Was she going to have to do this all herself?

            Clyde had figured as much, so he just nodded as he crossed the threshold into the kitchen, noting that it smelled strongly of aging spices.  Obviously Relm meant to speak with him, and he was intending to oblige her.  "You should change into some dry clothes."

            Scowling, Relm straightened in her chair, pushing her bangs out of her eyes with a puff of breath.  "A little water never hurt anyone.  Knock it off; you've been avoiding me since you got here.  Are you going to explain yourself or what?" 

            With a shrug, Clyde pulled out a chair for himself and dropped into it wearily but not without his natural grace.  He, for one, would have liked to change into some dry clothes and have something to eat, but she wanted to talk.  "Anything I had to explain to you seems to have been covered when I was 'dead'.  What exactly is it that you want to know?"

            Relm felt herself stiffen and she leaned across the table, her voice raising an octave but she had refrained from snapping just yet.  "I want to know why you didn't tell me! Okay, so maybe I buy that you didn't know about me until last year, but when you did find out, why did you ignore me? How could you just do that?!" 

            As mature as she tried to be, Relm was just a child, and one with hurt and angry feelings.  Clyde did not have many dealings with children at all, and on some level it had not sunk in yet that this one was really his.  He was much more careful in picking his words than he would be if it were anyone else.  

            "I didn't see a reason to.  What difference would it have made? Would you have been any happier?" He kept his voice low and even, not daring to speak down to the girl.  

            Relm leaned back in her chair, glaring balefully at him.  "If you don't care, why are you even here? Why bother now?"

            "Look," Propping his elbows on the table, he steepled his hands and regarded her steadily, unflinching.  "I know I wasn't here for you, and that's a shitty deal.  I'm not about to try and be some kind of a father to you now, but I do want to clear the air at least."

            "I don't want to clear the air!" Now she was shouting, not caring if her grandfather and Locke or all the neighbors heard her.  "I want you to tell me how you could just leave! What about my mother, what about her, huh??" 

            It would have been stupid for him to think that this was not going to be about her mother.  Clyde had to lean back in his chair as well, his resolve and collectedness cracking bit by tiny bit.  "I had to leave."

            The girl was sniffling now, even though her expression was still furious and the hurt made her soft brown eyes bright with tears she was struggling to hold back.  "She died! You left and she died and you weren't even here! Did you even come back for her? Did you even care??"

            The legs of the chair thumped on the floor as the man stood abruptly at the child's accusations.  He could feel himself being wound up and caught with the sudden urge to walk out.  "Relm…I'm sorry she died.  I am.  I didn't want that to happen."

            "I don't want an apology! Answer me! **Answer me!!**" Pale face flushed red with anger; Relm's fingers closed around the closest thing in reach; a sugar pot, and she used both hands to hurl it at the object of her sudden fury.  

            Turning quickly on his heel, he avoided the projectile and it sailed past to break against the edge of the kitchen counter, coating it and most of the floor with sugar.  That did not stop Relm.  Already she had picked up a shaker of salt and drew back her arm to launch it as well.  This time he was more prepared and his arm shot out to snatch the missile before she did any more damage.  

            Before Clyde could say anything in his defense, or to calm the girl down, Strago had joined them in the kitchen with Locke trying to hold him back.  The old magi's face was drawn in concern and anger, frail fist shaking in Clyde's general direction.  "What are you doing to her?! I knew I should not have agreed to-"

            Relm bolted towards the door, squeezing between Strago and Locke to escape from the house and into the night.  Her grandfather tried to stop her by grasping her sleeve, but it was not enough and he fell back against Locke.  

            In truth, Clyde did not really want to go after her, but he did not want to stay here and suffer Strago's wrath.  The man had lost a daughter to him already; there was no way Clyde could hold it against Strago for being so disagreeable.  Assassin looked to thief for help, and Locke just nodded faintly in understanding.  Why Locke was so understanding was something he would have to figure out later.

            "Strago… calm down.  It's okay, she's just a little upset, that's all…she's fine." The treasure hunter steadied the elderly mage, half-wondering if he was going to try and hurl some awful spell at Clyde.  He was pulling Strago out of the kitchen doorway so that Clyde could walk by quickly and purposefully.  

            "I will not calm down!" Strago pulled his robed arm out of Locke's grasp and started after Clyde, only to have the front door slammed in his face.  A gnarled hand tugged it back open, but all he could see was blackness and shadow in the starless night.  He was full well prepared to find Relm and bring her home, cursing himself for letting that murderous bastard anywhere near her.  

            "Strago!" Locke stood in the doorway, trying to reason with him.  "Let them have at it, she'll be fine! Clyde will bring her home, you're just going to get yourself lost and catch your death of cold if you go out there." 

            Shaking with rage and fear for Relm, the old magi had to admit that his chances of finding either Relm or Shadow out there were slim.  He was more likely to catch a cold than do any good.  He hated feeling helpless as much as the next person, but Locke was a friend, and he was right.  

*****

So things had gone better than he had thought.  Clyde still had no clue what the hell he was doing out here, or what he was going to do to make everything better, but he had not fallen apart.  That had to be a good sign, right? There was something about using his honed talents to track down an eleven-year-old girl that was morbid, but he was thankful that she wasn't making it too difficult for him.

            Strange or no, but he knew exactly where she was going before he even arrived there.  The path that lead to the Thamasa cemetery was old blocks of stone that was well kept but nothing could make it look anything but ancient.  He trusted his instincts to guide him in the darkness, picking his way with uncanny capability.  The wind rustled the branches of the tress that ringed the graveyard and rattled the wrought iron fence that protected it from unknown forces.  

            Once he was past the gate Clyde drew to a halt, scanning the rows of headstones and blocks of tombs for any sign of Relm.  There was no real need to, he started walking slowly towards a lonely corner of the cemetery where a well cared for headstone jutted out of the earth, and a distinctive form huddled against it as the rain continued its weeping drizzle.  

            "Relm…" Reaching out, his rough hand grasped the edge of the stone and Clyde crouched beside her, hesitant to touch her and clueless on how to comfort her.  "Relm, come on, you can't stay out here all night."

            The anger had died on the mad dash here, and now the girl was weeping quietly with her knees drawn up to her chest, her face hidden by her arms.  She offered no stinging words of rage and pain this now, now she was just a confused little girl.  

            "Fuck." 

            If he considered that using that kind of language in front of a child was improper, he gave no sign as he looked around the cemetery.  It was just the two of them, the forest, the night and the dead.  

            "Why did you leave her…?" Relm lifted her head a little; turning it towards the dark man crouched at her side, speaking in a thin and soft voice between her sniffles.  

            The sigh that escaped him was a heartsick one as he eased out of his crouch to sit on the soggy grass with his back against the headstone as well.  Leaning his head back, he banged it purposefully and rather solidly on the stone, as if that might jolt the words out.  "I had gotten myself into trouble with the Empire.  They knew who I was, it was only a matter of time before the soldiers caught up to me here."

            Relm was silent for what felt like an eternity before she hiccupped softly and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand.  She swallowed hard and drew a shivering breath.  "Why didn't you take her with you?"

            Regarding her quietly for a moment, Clyde let the rain pull his gaze towards the sky.  "She would have come with me, too, you know…had I asked her.  I didn't.  She deserved so much better than the life I had to offer."

            Although she tried to retain her composure, the child's face crumpled and her voice warbled thinly with her weeping.  "I wish you had never come here…then she never would have had me, and she'd still be alive."

            That hurt.  It had been said quietly without venom, and perhaps that made it all the worse.  Relm had said that because she meant it, not because she was trying to take cheap shots at Clyde Arrowny.  The man swallowed hard to get past the uncomfortable tightness in his throat, feeling his fists clench involuntarily.  

            "I used to wish that.  Before I knew about you.  In a perfect world I could have had you both, I suppose." His rough voice was uncommonly hoarse with emotion; it had been like a sickness these days.  "Relm, life deals out a lot of miserable shit, I won't kid you about that.  Sometimes just one day can make all of the shit seem worth it, though.  We can play the 'what if' game until we want to hang ourselves, but it won't change what's happened."  

            She thought about that, secretly pleased that Clyde did not talk down to her, or try and sugar coat things.  "No, I guess it won't."

            Clearing his throat, he did reach out to rest a hand on her slight shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.  "I'm not trying to shut you up.  If you want to know something, ask.  I'll do my best to answer.  I owe you a lot."

            "Were you just coming to Thamasa because Locke was?" Unmoving, but not turning him a deaf ear, Relm could not help but wonder just what this man wanted with her now, if things could not be changed.

            Finally, he was able to answer something without feeling bad.  He shook his head slowly, opening his mouth and letting the rainwater wet his tongue before he answered her.  "No.  I was on my way to see you long before I met up with him again.  After Celes died, he wanted to get away.  My journey was a fine distraction, and I didn't mind the company as much as I thought I would."

            "Celes…died?" Relm's eyes widened and she sat up, slicking back her wet blonde hair.  "That's…that's terrible! How? When?"

            _Now that's the way to make the kid feel better.  You stupid fuck…_Clyde mentally cursed himself, wincing and pressing his palm to his forehead.  "A while ago.  She was very sick…sorry, I assumed that Locke would have told you about it in his letter." 

            "No, he didn't.  Poor Locke…I feel so stupid now…having a temper tantrum when he's just lost Celes." Sighing deeply, she felt tears threatening again.  

            Grasping the back of her neck now, fingers that could have just as easily snapped it kneaded in a soothing manner that the child did not protest to.  As tough as she was, the comfort was not unwelcome.  "You had a right to be upset."

            "I'm sorry I threw the sugar bowl and salt shaker at you," She whispered softly, all the fight gone out of her now.  

            "Don't be.  You have a good arm." Spoken lightly but not untruthfully, Clyde inclined his head towards her, waiting for some sign that she was ready to leave the wet graveyard.  If they escaped coming down with fever, he would be amazed.

            It was not enough to bring her up completely, but a ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Relm's mouth momentarily.  "Thanks.  Painting requires precision, too, I guess."

            Withdrawing his hand, Clyde stood and stretched, seemingly oblivious to the way his dark clothing clung to him wetly, chafing his skin.  After he was appropriately stretched, he extended his arm to Relm, offering her a hand up.  "I'll take you home."

            Nodding miserably, the girl accepted the help up; faintly amused to note that the pocket of her overalls had filled with water that seeped out when she stood up.  Hugging herself when Clyde released her hand, she started walking with him out of the cemetery with a final look over her shoulder at her mother's grave.

            Waiting for her at the gate, Clyde took a lean up against it, noticing that the rain had let up and the moon was breaking through the thick clouds overhead.  That would make the way back a little easier, not that the path was a treacherous one.  "Ever hear of an artist calling herself Teegan?"

            "Of course." It was a stupid question to ask anyone who truly admired the art of the paintbrush.  Relm supposed Clyde was trying to make small talk with her by bringing up something in her sphere of interest.  

            "You think you could learn anything from her?" Pushing off of the fence when Relm brushed past with a suspicious glance, he walked with her to the outskirts of the small town.  

            "What kind of a question is that? She's the _best_.  She's also stuck up.  Everyone worth their salt knows she doesn't take students." The girl was slowly regaining some sense of her usual self, offended that her knowledge was being tested by someone she was certain couldn't paint to save his life.

            "So now I'm not worth my salt? Is there some joke about pitching a salt shaker at me coming up next?" Clyde was not smiling, but there was a hint of his dark humor there.  

            Relm snorted, her feet scuffling at the rough stones of the walkways through Thamasa.  After a moment she just shrugged, not about to dignify that with an answer.  

            "I convinced her to take a student.  She'll be expecting you when you're ready to go.  If you're interested, that is." There was very real apprehension as he waited her reaction and response.  It was posed as nonchalantly as possible, just in case she vehemently refused his offer.  

            Halting so abruptly she almost tripped in the street, Relm turned to face the man, tilting her head to look up at his face, which was now slightly more visible as the clouds parted above them.  Her brown eyes were wide for a moment before her expression grew suspicious again.  "Are you teasing me?"

            "No."

            Sucking in a deep breath, a thought toppled over what she had been about to say and Relm uncrossed her arms.  "What did you do, threaten to kill her or something?"

            Clyde smirked.  "No.  I offered her a lot of money…and before you say it, none of it is blood money.  Locke can back me up on that one."

            Wordlessly, Relm turned away and started walking again.  Her eyes were wide and her heart was pounding in her chest.  A part of her wondered if Clyde had done this just to win her over.  If he did, it was working remarkably well.  This was an opportunity no one else had ever received before… she could see other parts of the world, study under one of the most renowned artists of her time.  Then a thought began to dampen her excitement.  "Gramps would never let me go alone…he's getting too old to travel, even though he won't admit it."

            "You won't be going alone," Clyde's voice drifted to her over her shoulder as they made their way towards the house where Locke, Strago and Interceptor were waiting for them.  "Interceptor and Locke are going with you."

            "R-really…?" Despite her attempts to keep her cool, Relm felt herself gasp, looking up at the assassin again.  "But what about you…?"

            Smiling ruefully, he just shrugged as he stepped past her, resting his hand on her head momentarily as he did so.  "There is someone I have to get back to." 


	8. Chapter Six - Where The Blood Flows

(Author's note: This is the longest chapter I've ever written, and I loved writing it, let me tell you.  I also have to say that I had more than a little help from another author, so if you **really** like this chapter you have to thank Tyler as well for his ideas and proofreading.  You can find his own work here on Fanfiction.net under the nom de plume **Machine Essence**.  So thank you to everyone who read, everyone who reviewed, and Tyler for helping me put out the best (IMO) chapter yet! THANK YOU!!)

_Terra,_

_I'm here in Thamasa now, and I imagine Locke has already kept you up to date as to what has been going on.  Did he mention he went on a drinking binge and beat up a noble on the ship? It was precious; you should be upset that you missed it.  He also informed me that Relm already knew that I was her father.  That leaves me to wonder just who else knows? I would hate to think that Locke had told you something he was keeping from me, that's not a way to stay on my good side, is it? _

_           I wish I could say that we had a heartwarming reunion and that all is now well, but that would be a gross exaggeration.  So it wasn't great, but it wasn't bad, either.  Relm did throw a sugar bowl and a saltshaker at me.  She missed, but it was pretty close.  _

_           From your last letter, it sounds to me like things are as mundane and unexciting as usual around Mobliz.  As sorry as I feel that you're stuck there (by choice…) I can at least rest a little easier knowing that you aren't getting into trouble without me.  Fuck, I'm starting to sound like Locke.  _

_           Can you imagine how tense things are in this house? Your boyfriend has actually been a lifesaver here in Thamasa, I'm sure he's the only thing keeping Strago from trying to kill me.  The old magi seems to like him, just enough to tolerate me.  That, and the little wiseass (Relm) and I have been getting along slightly better.  She wants me to teach her how to fight, what do you think of that? Before you get that adorably dubious expression on your face, rest assured it is for self-defense only.  Come on, do you really think I would encourage the kid to seriously hurt people?  _

_           Now that I think about it, this is the longest letter I've ever written.  It could probably go on for a lot longer if I don't stop myself.  I actually miss you.  I wish I could say I'm going to see you soon, but it doesn't look like I will.  Relm wants me to stay for a few more days and I agreed.  She is hard to say no to, kind of reminds me of Interceptor like that.  After that we're going to be heading to Corner Stone to find this artist lady and escort Relm safely there.  _

_           I wasn't supposed to be going on this journey, but once again the manipulative brat has talked me into going, sparing no guilt tactic (do I speak of my daughter or my dog? You decide).  Besides, I get to spend a little more time with Interceptor this way.  Putting up with Locke is a price I'll have to pay._

_           Before I close this out, I'm going to ask you to do me a favor and write to Locke for me.  I think he has some crazy idea in his head about his next career move, and I'm not exactly thrilled about it. Find out what's going on in that rock head and fill me in. Of course this means that you'll refrain from mentioning that I asked you to interrogate him.  Can you do that for me? You have my permission to use your womanly wiles, if that's what it takes._

_           Good girl, I knew I could count on you.  Take care of yourself.  I am going to see you again._

_Clyde_

Terra was not entirely certain what to make of this letter.  With a few words, Clyde would seem like he was on the verge of being sentimental and affectionate, then with a few more he had abolished that and come across as a flippant bastard with a twisted sense of humor.  The half-Esper huffed at the last part, where the master assassin assumed that she would carry out his desires and interrogate Locke on the side.  The truly annoying part was that she was just charmed enough to do as he asked.

           Pushing up the brim of her wide sun hat, Terra scanned the letter again, quite familiar with Clyde Arrowny's distinctive handwriting by now.  Pursing her lips and letting out a faint sigh, she looked over to Katarin, who was pretending not to be trying to read the letter over the other woman's shoulder.  "Kat?"

           "Yes?"

           "Where is Corner Stone?"

           Kat patted absently at the dark plait of her hair drawn over one shoulder, finally shaking her head.  "I have no idea, I've never even heard of it."

           The two women were standing in the message office near the Mobliz town square as Terra had not been patient enough to carry her letter from Clyde all the way back to her house to read.  Whenever a letter came for her, she was in the habit of tearing into it straight way, pondering it for the rest of the day and composing a reply when she finally did make it back to her house.  

           "Pardon me," Terra said politely as she pocketed the letter in her trousers and walked up to the receiving desk, rapping on it gently for the elderly woman's attention.  

           Min, the aging clerk, smiled in an absent way that was surprisingly due to her natural flakiness and nothing to do with her age.  "Yes dear, what is it?"

           "I was wondering if I could send a message to Corner Stone?" Terra inquired politely, knowing that she had to take it slow with Min.  Everyone in Mobliz treated her like the local heroine she was, but the clerk had trouble remembering anyone from day to day.  

           "Corner Stone…" The woman frowned and squinted down at her books, holding her thick spectacles up on her nose as she dragged a fingertip up and down the list.  Finally she lifted her head again and shook it sadly. "No, I'm sorry dear, we don't have any services going that far north.  I suppose it must be a very small town.  Do you know what the next largest one is? Perhaps you can send a message there?"

           Kat was not paying as much attention to the conversation as she was to a large map that was on the office wall.  Clasping her hands behind her back, the young mother clucked her tongue for Terra's attention.  "The nearest place that can take messages is a long way off.  I see why they call it Corner Stone."

           With a soft sound of dismay, Terra joined Kat and looked to where the girl was pointing to a small island in the northernmost sea.  "It will take weeks to get there…who knows how long Clyde will be?  I may as well just face it," she sighed "I'm not going to see him again for a long time." 

           "You could always take a more forward approach," Katarin suggested with a shrug, crossing her arms in front of her now as she began to walk out of the office and into a pack of children that had been waiting to pounce their caretakers.

           Taking time to thank Min, Terra followed Kat outside quickly, bending down and scooping up Katarin's toddler daughter.  "Forward? What are you talking about?"

           "Go get washed up for lunch!" The Human of the pair raised her voice rather sharply for all of the children to hear, snapping them to attention and into action without protest as she reached over to relive Terra of her baby.  "Why are you sitting here just waiting for this man?"

           "The children…" Gesturing out in front of her with a hand at the scattering kids, eager to get washed up so that they may eat.  Terra pushed the hat off of her head and it fell against her back, held in place by a string.  "They need me."

           "Terra, come on now.  The kids love you, but they don't need you like they did before.  Mobliz is recovered and thriving, Duane and I can handle things and there are plenty of other people here who not only have adopted many of the kids, but would protect any one of them." With a sigh, she looked over at Terra and smiled a bit tiredly.  "I know you love them, but don't use them as an excuse to stay." 

           That caused the other to arch a brow.  "I never used them as an excuse, Kat.  I really do love it here, this is my home.  The first real home I've ever had…"

           Katarin stopped and shifted the toddler in her arms, turning to face Terra fully, and her expression quite serious.  "All right, look.  I'll level with you.  I'm insanely jealous of you, okay? I was born in this town, and I'll probably die in this town.  I have a husband and a family and I can't just up and leave to see the world or chase after a whim.  It's a terrible thing…as happy as I am, there's a part of me that regrets tying myself down so young."

           That came as a bit of a surprise, and it made Terra frown, reaching out to grasp her friend's shoulder gently.  "Kat…I'm sorry, I never knew you felt that way.  I never thought about it…"

           "Hey, it's okay," The girl shrugged, smiling when her young daughter reached to grasp at her freckled nose.  "I'm just saying that you should get out of here.  You can always come back, you'll always have a home here, but… you're young, you're in love, you're one tough-as-nails bitch when push comes to shove…get going while the going's good, you know?"

           "I'll have to think about it…" 

*****

Since a guilty conscience made him stick around, Clyde was forced to busy himself as the days passed.  If he did not, he would go insane; it was as simple as that.  Although he would not admit it outright, he did take a kind of satisfaction in doing menial tasks as they kept his body active but left his mind free to wander.  It was a comfortable place to be, and he made it a point to enjoy it as much as possible.

           There were tasks and chores that needed to be done around the property.  Strago was too old to be doing this all the time even if he was in denial, and Relm was still a young girl.  Besides, there was a part of him that did not mind giving his daughter the extra time to paint now that she was not wasting her time on work.  

           The spade struck a stone in the garden, drawing the man out of his thoughts.  Releasing the handle of the shovel, Clyde inspected his hand to see that he had received a few splinters in his palm from the jarring blow of metal on stone.  Heaving the same kind of sigh Interceptor was prone to, he rested the spade against the side of the house and walked out of the garden.  

           Why was he even trying to turn over the earth in the garden, anyhow? It had been neglected so long that the earth was packed tightly and weeds had overrun the herbs and flowers that had once been growing.  Clyde remembered a time when roses bloomed around the house; white roses with just the tips of the petals kissed with red.  Lina had once told him they were passion roses.  The white ones were innocence, the red ones were romance, but these ones were passion.  It had sounded kind of stupid and girlishly whimsical at the time, but he had been more preoccupied with the flower's soft petals brushing his lips as the girl explained about the roses.

           Shaking off the memories, Clyde did wonder what happened to the rose bushes.  Perhaps they died without Lina here to take care of them, or maybe Strago had them removed.  Either way, they were gone, and he did not really care for roses anymore.  

           The day was lazy and warm without being stiflingly hot.  Was it fall or spring? No one knew for certain, and until the world was completely healed, it was anyone's guess.  Children played a respectful distance away; the citizens of Thamasa went about their chores and business.  A group of women ranging in age had gathered on the balcony of the neighboring house to play cards and chat about the local gossip, most of which included the guests Strago had staying at his house.  Clyde was pretty disgusted by their chatter and did not oblige them in the slightest when he felt their scrutinizing attention.

           Squinting at the bright sun for a moment, he sought out the shade of the tool shed behind the house so he could draw a dagger and get to work on digging the splinters out of his palm.  The last thing he needed was an infection.  It only took a few moments to guide the slivers of wood out from under his skin and glistening drops of blood began to well from his broken skin.  Absently, he licked at the miniscule wound, reaching for the door of the shed.  

           Upon entering the shed, Clyde was greeted with a mild surprise.  Apparently this was no longer a tool shed, but Relm's studio.  Instead of tools and gardening implements, there were paints, brushes, canvases, charcoal, easels and other items of her trade.  That explained why the spade had been rusting outside against the house.

           Letting the door swing partially closed behind him, the sunlight filtering through a window and a hole in the tin roof made it bright enough to see.  Moving past a canvas that was covered with a cloth, Clyde inspected the shelves for a pair of gardening gloves or something else with which he could protect his hands.  

           He admittedly knew next to nothing about painting, but he supposed it was taboo to go looking through an artist's pieces without permission, and he had no desire to invade Relm's privacy in such a manner…however, as much as he tried to avert his eyes, the covered canvas kept drawing his attention.  Finally he moved towards it and circled the piece propped up on a shelf.

           It was a full sized canvas, and he imagined she had been working on it this morning and last night when the girl had announced she needed some alone time to stimulate the creative process.  Frowning, he realized he was sorely tempted and detestably curious to see what she had been up to.  Finally he shrugged and told himself that it was no matter, and reached out to draw aside the cloth that had been protecting the painting from sunlight, dust and prying eyes.

           There was a clatter at his feet, and Clyde was only dimly aware that he had dropped his dagger.  

           What was revealed could not possibly have been the work of an eleven-year-old girl.  This was brilliant, this was unnatural and Clyde could not remember having been struck like this since the first time he had seen Terra in her Esper form.  The hand that had dropped the dagger balled into a fist and pressed against his chest, and he was very aware of the unusual way his heart was pounding.

           Relm had portrayed none other than Shadow himself.

           His brows furrowed as he studied the breathtaking piece.  It was so perfect, no detail had been overlooked, each color was true to life and the masked man standing with his arms crossed looked so…_alive._  It was very eerie to see, it was not like looking into a mirror, it was like seeing yourself through someone else's eyes.  How many ever had that opportunity? 

           There was magic there, in that painting, Clyde could feel it so strong it was almost like a scent hanging in the air, a taste on his mouth.  The piece itself was in dark shades, but she had painted him standing in moonlight, keeping watch.  His stance was relaxed but commanding, and his clothing was exactly the same he had worn on the night this painting was portraying, right down to the designs on the sash around his narrow waist.  Against a backdrop of night and forest with a pale circle of a hazy moon, large and cold, the dark and deadly figure stared back at Clyde.  The eyes…is that what people saw when they looked at him, or had Relm only painted it that way? It was cold, but very much alive.  Too alive…he could not tear his gaze from the canvas.

           What confused him was that this looked like a portrait, but Relm had obviously just been working on it.  She seemed to be painting from the inside out, not having filled the entire canvas yet, patches of it were bare a if she had not yet decided what would go there.  Had she really done this from memory alone…? 

           "I _said_: What do you think you're doing?!" 

            Startled, afraid and confused all at once, Clyde was finally drawn out of his daze by Relm's shriek from beside him.  The shed was suddenly much darker than it had been a moment ago, and a crawling sensation swept through him when he snapped his attention to the window to see that the sun was low in the sky.  It was sunset.  That was impossible, it had not even been mid afternoon just a moment ago.  Slowly, he looked down at Relm, not so fazed by her furious expression as he was by the fact she had entered the shed and walked up to his side without him even being aware of her until now.  

           Something in his expression made Relm's shift from outrage to concern and then worry as she looked from Clyde to her painting and then back, suddenly worried that he didn't like it.  "What's the matter with you? Say something…"

           "I was looking for gloves." Remembering why he had come in here to begin with, Clyde turned his palm up and inspected it.  As he suspected, the little punctures where the splinters had pierced his skin had scabbed over.  A chill stole through him and his expression hardened.  "Fuck…how long have I been standing here?"

           "How would I know?" Relm huffed in annoyance, truly taken aback by his behavior.  She had yelled at him when she discovered him in her workspace, but he had completely ignored her.  Not until she had strode up to his side and shrieked had he even acknowledged her, and still he did not seem even slightly embarrassed that he had invaded her privacy. 

           Now he had no doubt in his mind that Relm's painting had captured him for what appeared to be several hours.  Either that or he was losing his mind.  The former was the stronger possibility.  "How did you do this…?" 

           When Clyde gestured to her painting, Relm shrugged in a nonchalant manner, moving to tug down the cloth that covered it.  "Well, I mix my paints, line up my brushes and I just do it.  You act like you've never seen a painting before."

           Shaking his head slowly, Clyde turned to face the girl when she covered the painting.  His body felt stiff, another indicator of how long he had stood there motionless.  "Why did you paint me?"

           "Why not? I paint flowers and houses too, don't get a big head about it." The girl scowled, putting up one foot on a stool to roll up the cuff of her pants.  "Do I need your permission? If you don't like it, I don't care, I just paint for me anyway."

           Relm was not an easy child to speak to under any circumstances, Clyde learned.  He found her abrasiveness strangely comforting, because he could see right through it.  "I didn't say that.  I'm flattered, that's all."

           "Oh yeah?" Pausing, Relm crossed her arms and looked up at her father.  "Well…I don't know.  I just felt like painting you.  Sometimes things just come out of my mind and I don't realize it until I'm almost finished…what do you think of it?

           And don't say it's 'good' because I really hate it when people say that.  Tell me what you really think." 

           There was no way Clyde could make himself say something like 'good' as a way to describe what he had just seen.  A part of him was still not quite sure what he had been looking at.  It was more than just an image on canvas that stole his breath away, wasn't it? 

           Silence fell between them as he thought carefully with Relm watching expectantly and hopefully.  Finally he moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue and spoke.  "Honestly? It frightened me."

           That had not been what she'd expected to hear, but that was much better than 'good'.  "Frightened you…? Why?"

           So all the bullshit was dropped, all the acting, all the natural defenses and he was speaking with fierce honesty to his daughter now.  "I've never seen myself before.  Most people never do get to see themselves.  Most don't want to.  I wasn't expecting it."

           Relm's voice softened into something childlike and wondrous as her eyes widened at Clyde's words.  It was as if she had been waiting to hear something like that for a very long time.  "What did you see? What did it make you feel?"

           "I saw what you do.  After I had studied it, I felt…proud."

           A wraith of a smile haunted Relm's lips.  "Proud?"

           "Yes.  Proud of myself…and you…and that you seem to hold me in much higher regard than I thought." He spoke quietly but unwaveringly, folding his arms and mirroring her smile without realizing it.  

           It was Relm who looked away first, her smile widening into a grin as she blushed.  No one had ever complimented her so sincerely before with the exception of her grandfather…but even Strago treated her like a child most of the time, as if that meant she must be ignorant, too.  "Yeah…well, I'm glad you like it.  I was afraid you wouldn't."

           This was nowhere near as awkward as previous conversations with Relm, as few as those had been.  Unfolding his arms, Clyde reached out to ruffle her soft blonde hair in an affectionate gesture that surprised them both.  "You're going to scare the shit out of Corner Stone."

           That made Relm grin wider with an impish glint to her eyes as she nodded her agreement.  She did not protest the closeness, she felt more comfortable with Clyde now than she ever had before.  "Yeah, I know.  Now get the hell out of my workspace."

           Smirking at the child's way with words, Clyde waved his hand at her in a dismissive gesture, stooping to pick up his dropped dagger and walk out of the shed.  For a moment he marveled that he was quite fortunate not to have dropped the balanced blade onto his foot.  

           Relm followed a moment after, closing the shed door and tagging along after her father, having to hurry to match pace with his long-legged strides.  Hooking her thumbs into the pockets of her pants, she assumed a casual stroll once Clyde slowed down to accommodate her.  "Do you paint?"

           "Do I look like I paint?" He murmured absently, noting that they were not walking towards the house, but to the well-worn path that lead into the woods behind it.

           "Do I??"

           "No, I don't paint."

           "Sketch?"

           "No."

           "Anything remotely artistic?"

           Clyde arched a brow at the questioning, but he could not say he was displeased that Relm was speaking to him, even if most people would have been annoyed long before now.  "I consider my trade a form of art." 

           Relm wrinkled her nose in distaste, watching the path as they walked.  If she was at all curious as to where they were going, she said nothing.  This was her territory anyhow, she grew up here, and all of these paths were familiar to her. "I guess I was just wondering if anyone else in my family had a knack.  I heard it was hereditary."

           "Not that I'm aware of…" Clyde's smooth voice trailed off, resuming after a few steps and accompanied by the sound of rushing water.  "Though I suspect your talent is a form of magic manifesting.  Granted, I'm not an expert on the subject."

           "I know there's some magic in it," Relm agreed, the way her brows drew together and her lips pursed when she was pensive was remarkably much like her father's.  "That would make sense.  My gramps is magi." 

           "True, but I'm not sure that's where you get it from." Since they were speaking to one another, why not bring it up? The girl was not so difficult to converse with once you got past her abrasiveness and sharp tongue.  

           Hopping over a log that had fallen across the path years ago, Relm had no trouble navigating in the approaching darkness.  Nightfall was not long off, and the other children who would be playing by the creek had long since been called in for dinner.  She had few restrictions on her; her grandfather was unable to rein her in these days.  Already night sounds were starting to swell between the trees, a comfortable symphony she had fallen asleep to most of her life.

           "You think I get it from you?" Genuine curiosity touched her question when Relm came to a stop in the tall grass that flanked the shallow creek.  Sweeping her bangs out of her eyes, she looked to Clyde over her shoulder.  

Instead of venturing into the tall grass, the assassin opted for the roots of an ancient tree that had been sheltering travelers and the citizens of Thamasa for centuries.  Lowering himself to sit, he leaned back against the tree. "It's possible."

Wading back through the grass, Relm decided to catch frogs later.  Clyde seemed to have something interesting to say, and she wanted to give him her attention.  Wandering to the tree, she walked around it slowly, climbing on its roots and testing her balance.  "I didn't know you were magi."

"I'm not.  I'm not sure what I am." The confession came easily enough, and Clyde scratched at his chin, aware that he was going to have to shave soon.  "There is magic in what I do, though.  It manifests in my particular craft.  Hell, it manifests in anything I put myself to.  I seem to master talents and skills much faster and easier than people should."

Stopping to stand on a gnarl of roots, Relm reached out to rest her hand on the rough bark of the tree, her gaze averted to the darkness of the thick forest on the other side of the creek.  "I think I understand what you mean."

Reaching out one hand, the assassin plucked a blade of the sweetgrass and drew the root between his fingers to clean it of dirt before he put the end in his mouth.  There was nothing like the sweetgrass that grew on Crescent Island.  "Do you?"

Relm stepped down from the roots, circling the trunk of the tree to draw up beside her father, lowering and sitting next to him.  When she turned her face towards the man, she had a straw of grass in her mouth as well, and it bobbed when she spoke in all seriousness. 

"It's like I have a fever.  When I want to paint something, I sit there and stare at the canvas.  Sometimes I know what I want to paint, sometimes images just seem to spill right out from the brush.  It's like being possessed.  Everything slows down, it's almost like I have to fight an invisible force to make my arm move.  I can't think about anything except what I'm doing, and I can't stop until I'm finished.  It's like…dreaming and being awake at the same time...but when I really do wake up, I'm usually done painting."

Clyde remained silent while Relm explained herself.  The little girl described very well what it was like for him when he battled, when he threw a shuriken, when he danced with the blade.  He had tried to explain it to other people on rare occasions, but they never seemed to understand.

"Have you ever tried to use it with something else?" 

Pursing her lips, Relm shook her head.  "No…I never thought about it.  I really love to paint; I thought that was just…a flood of fiery inspiration.  Have you?"

Clearing his throat and eyeing the fireflies that were beginning their ghostly dance through the swaying grasses, Clyde nodded once.  "I have.  Everything I've ever attempted I've excelled at.  There were always one or two things that I loved the most, felt the most comfortable with, though." _…Things that made me feel alive_, he thought to himself.  

"Now that I think about it, I'm not really bad at anything…except maybe being patient and ladylike," The last part was muttered under her breath, though not at all inaudible to her companion.

           "I think you do just fine," Clyde chuckled faintly, trying to remain unaffected by the sunset.  It would be over soon, and he could stop marveling at its painful beauty.  The very last traces of orange and pink hues were giving away to the indigo and blue of night.

           Relm sniffled and moments of silence stretched between them, though this time it was a comfortable silence instead of the oppressive awkwardness of only yesterday.  She had more questions, but at least now she knew that her father was willing to answer them to the best of his ability, so she was in no rush to pump him for information.  "Where's Locke? I haven't seen him since this afternoon."

           "Neither have I." That was because he had been staring at the painting for the entire afternoon.  It was still strange to think about, but it was no fault of Relm's, and there was no harm done, so he let it go.

           "Kodi is Locke's puppy, isn't she?" Looking down at her hands, Relm nibbled on the roots of the grass in her mouth.  "She wasn't for me."

           Clyde smirked to himself.  Relm was definitely a sharp kid.  "Actually, she was Celes' dog.  Locke brought her along for the trip.  I don't think he intended her as a gift, but he's not unhappy that you made the assumption."

           "You're sure? I'll give her back if Locke wants her.  I wouldn't keep Celes' puppy…I shouldn't have gotten ahead of myself like that." 

           Shaking his head, Clyde raised a hand to drop it onto his knee.  "It's fine.  If Locke didn't want you to have Kodi, he would have said something.  You're more Kodi's speed, anyhow, she was walking all over him."

           That made Relm grin, lifting her head again.  "We were trying to get her to sit earlier.  I took Kodi back home with me when I went to get something to eat and she was sleepy.  Hopefully she's still asleep and not driving gramps crazy."  

           "Or Interceptor," Clyde added as an afterthought.

           "Or him.  I haven't seen him much today, either, now that I think about it." Relm straightened, furrowing her brow.  

           "Don't worry about him, he's not far off.  I think he just needs some quiet time after the journey here.  He's not used to being around so many people." As of this moment he was not certain why he had not told Relm that Interceptor wanted to stay with her in Corner Stone.  That was something needing discussion with his partner, and maybe a small part of Clyde was hoping that Interceptor would change his mind.  

           With a little nod, Relm shifted and stretched in a sitting position against the tree.  "Should we go find Locke?"

           In all honesty, he was not too interested in sharing this moment with Locke, but he had not seen much of the thief in the last two days.  Something told him that the treasure hunter was going to get himself in trouble, even in a small town like this.  Clyde had made Celes a promise, after all.  "I guess we should."

*****

As much comfort as familiar faces and sympathetic friends were, Locke was suffering in silence, plagued with nightmares and gut-wrenching feelings of guilt and remorse.  The dull ache in his heart was a constant constricting pain that killed his appetite and made the smiles and jokes much more difficult than they had ever been.  

There was a time when he thought he would never survive losing Rachel, and he might not have.  The only thing that kept him alive during those years was the hope that something could be done to save her, that if he found the Phoenix, he could restore her.  In the end, he could not, but he had survived the loss with the help of Celes.  

Now Celes was gone, and there was no hope, even false, that she was going to return.  The end of the world had not kept them apart, but some bizarre illness had stolen her from him.  

As painful as it was, Locke did realize that it was becoming more manageable day to day.  The despair lessened so that sometimes he could smile and mean it, but he saw no end.  It was cruel and ironic that the one other person he might have turned to for comfort was in love with Shadow.  _Shadow…_His thoughts turned to the dark man a lot these days.  Clyde was the last person he ever thought would be there to help him through his grief with such a subtle but genuine sincerity.  Shadow understood him, and seemed to know exactly what to do, and not to do to keep Locke on his feet.  

This was a strange world, and it would get stranger just when he thought he had a grasp on it.  

The young man sat alone at a table in the Thamasa Inn.  Not many travelers ever came through here, it was not really on the way to anywhere important.  Locke had learned from Strago that students wishing to learn the art of Blue magic were just about the only outsiders that ever came.  That did not mean the Inn did not see any business.  The citizens of Thamasa used for a recreation and social hall, and there were quite a few people here tonight for the food, fighting, drink and companionship.

Maybe it was strange to want to be alone in a crowd, but Locke had wanted just that, to surround himself with people without immersing himself completely in strange company.  He was just in the mood to let the din and fragments of conversation and music wash over him as he sampled some of the local dishes and drinks.  Non-alcoholic drinks, of course, he had learned his lesson aboard the Lark.

The Inn was two stories and open in concept.  The commons was more spacious than it looked on the outside; the floors were hard wood that was so ancient it had been worn smooth just by feet constantly walking over its surface, the polish faded away many years ago.  The second floor was visible from the commons, a walkway running around the rooms that ringed the top floor so that when someone left a room at the Inn they could lean over the railing and see who was downstairs (or speak to them, as was the case with several people carrying on a loud conversation between both floors).

In the middle of the common room was a gigantic support column that went all the way up to the roof, and sweethearts of many generations had been carving their names in the wood.  

At the monstrous hearth set on the far right side, people gathered around to listen to the elders tell stories, others played instruments and sang songs from around the world.  It had the smell of pipe tobacco, cooking food and drink and the always-present spell of spice that permeated everything in Thamasa but only the outsiders seemed to notice.  It was a warm and comfortable, boisterous atmosphere.  

"Are you finished with that?"

Blinking dazedly out of his thoughts, Locke smiled politely to the waitress that had sidled up to his table and indicated his empty bowl.  She had introduced herself earlier, but he could not remember her name.  She was comely with curly dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and pretty brown eyes, the kind of shapely figure that every other man in here except Locke seemed to be interested in.  

"Yeah, I'm done, thanks." 

"How about some dessert? The Inn has the best spice cake you'll ever taste…" The woman's smile widened and she spoke in a singsong voice, arching an eyebrow.  

With a polite smile, Locke shook his head.  "No thanks, I think I'm about ready to leave actually."  He was not dense.  In fact, he was well aware that the woman had been flirting with him all night, but he could not help the fact he was not interested.  

"Oh, that's too bad.  Aren't you enjoying yourself?" Reaching over the table to gather up the dishes from Locke's table, she inquired amiably.

Meadow, he remembered her name now.  She really was nice, and he was trying to express his disinterest as politely as possible without having to outright explain to her that he lost the love of his life to illness not long ago.  Hadn't the trouble on the Sea Lark been about a woman, too? Locke could not remember the details of that night, but the thought of coming onto anyone only days after Celes had died was painfully shameful.  

"It's been a long day, I should get going back." Standing from his chair, he began digging into his pockets for payment, leaving a generous tip on the table.

Surprisingly, Meadow seemed to understand that he was not here for the company tonight, and she smiled pleasantly.  "Well, stop in before you leave Thamasa, and I'll make sure you get some spice cake on the house, okay? Tell Strago to come see us, it's been two days and we miss his stories already." 

With a nod, Locke started to walk away from the table and towards the door, speaking to Meadow over his shoulder.  "I will, I promise.  Thanks- hey!" A man he did not know, a burly male about his own age wearing a smirk, was suddenly shoving him roughly backward.  Flailing his arms to regain his balance, utterly confused as to why the stranger shoved him in the first place, Locke unknowingly grabbed a hold of Meadow's dress when the serving girl rushed forward to reprimand the belligerent patron.

As the fates would have it, there was the sound of tearing cloth as Locke's grip on the front of it tore the bodice open.  Both of them fell to the Inn's floor as the dishes on Meadow's dropped tray crashed loudly, drawing much attention.

Sitting up quickly, Locke pulled back his hand and got off of the girl, his face quite red when he realized he had torn open her dress.  With a squeal of embarrassment, Meadow pulled the dress closed over her breasts, her face as crimson as Locke's and her eyes wide.

Locke realized what must have happened.  Some citizens of Thamasa were leery of outsiders, and when the leery ones noticed a lovely young local girl flirting with an outsider instead of them, they tended to get angry.  Biting his lip, he started to apologize to Meadow but before he could say anything, the man who had shoved him spoke up.

"That fuckin' outsider grabbed Meadow! Didja see that?!" 

No one seemed to have seen what had really happened; they had only noticed Locke when Meadow's tray had crashed onto the floor.  His eyes widening, Locke and Meadow both tried to deny what the man was saying, but the rising volume of anger inside the Thamasa Inn drown them out. 

When Locke got to his feet, a boot connected solidly with the small of his back in a jarring blow that rattled his teeth and sent him crashing into a table.  His chin thwacked hard on its edge as the thief went down a second time, stunned by the sudden and vicious attack.  He was quick to recover, but not fast enough to avoid the rough hands grasping his arms and back of his shirt, hauling him to his feet and dragging him towards the exit.

Just when he was regaining his senses, tasting the coppery tang of blood in his mouth, he was pushed down the short staircase that lead up to the Inn's main entrance.  On instinct he tucked in his head and drew up his knees to roll and take as little damage as possible.  His attackers were surprised when he came up on his feet, the back of his hand pressed to his mouth and eyes trying to focus on the direction of the assault.

His attackers numbered in a group of eight, but Locke was focused on one in particular, the one who had started it.  The others were just followers, and usually when you confronted the leader, the sheep dispersed.  Unfortunately these were strapping youths with just enough alcohol in them to make them violent at the perceived insult he had visited upon Thamasa with his presence.  

The leader strode towards Locke purposefully, putting on a show for his audience as he swung a solid fist into the thief's stomach.  He had pulled off his shirt to reveal a tanned body that looked defined with physical labor, but he was an ox compared to Locke Cole.  Unfortunately, taking Locke by surprise had given the assailants the upper hand.

For a short, sweet moment, anyway.

Now it was Locke's turn to be angry, and he was far more justified.  He felt a hand gripping his hair, lifting his head for a punch and he immediately responded with a fist snapping outward, knuckles crashing onto the bridge of his attacker's nose with a satisfying crunch and spatter of blood.  

Howling with pain, the youth staggered back, holding his bloodied nose and giving Locke all the time he needed to recover and find his feet again.  "You son of a _bitch_!" What would have been a fistfight became much more serious when the attacker groped at the small of his back to unsheathe the curved skinning knife he had been hiding there.  Tossing the sheath to the dirt, the young man readied himself with a bloody snarl, lunging and taking a powerful swipe at Locke.

Mentally cursing, he wondered just how this had turned so bad so fast as he threw back his arms and agilely avoided the clumsy swing.  One on one, he could have disarmed the boy and been on his way, but the attack had spurred the rage and bloodlust of the other seven, who were ringed around Locke.  The thief noticed more than one blade to his zero.  One he could stop, but eight? Why wasn't anyone stopping this instead of watching from the windows of the Inn with mixed expressions of secret glee and fear?  

It was happening so fast.  Dust was kicked up as Locke began a dance to save his life as the enraged youth kept advancing with that knife, his swipes becoming more precise and vicious with each passing second.  When Locke moved too close to one of the seven that were closing in on the battle like a pack of jackals, one bold observer shoved him from behind, right into the maniac with the knife.  Grunting, Locke spun away, but not before he felt the serrated edge of the skinning knife slice into the meat of his upper arm to the bone, making him cry out at the burning pain.  

This had to stop now.

Locke went from defensive to offensive even before blood began to spill down his bare arm, gritting his teeth.  All he could think about was stopping this asshole, and hard.  Like a lion moving in for the kill on a wounded animal, Locke displayed his prowess.  The same skill he would have used to lift gold from an unsuspecting target served him well as he punished his opponent's clumsiness with two lightning punches to the already broken nose.  While the pain blinded the youth, Locke jumped and twisted his body, his knee connecting with the sweet spot on the side of the body, just under the ribcage.  Something cracked.

That should have been his signal to stop, but some greater instinct told him that stopping would mean death from the others waiting to move in on Locke when he showed signs of weakening.  

Ignoring the words of encouragement and threats from the other seven, Locke did not relent in his attack as long as his enemy was still standing.  He did not realize the extent of the damage done until the youth began to gasp for breath, coughing up blood.  One lung was lost to the three broken ribs that punctured it from the inside with splinters of bone doing even worse with each passing second.  The cries died down and realization slammed hard into Locke.

He had killed the boy.  The single, seemingly effortless strike was intended to do no less than what it accomplished, and Locke wondered why he had not known that when he attacked; he had seen Shadow execute the same maneuver once or twice in the past, had he not? Was the outcome ever anything less than a quick-but-not-painless death? Had that been necessary? 

These thoughts flit through his mind like embers stirred by a violent wind as he watched the life draining from the enemy's body as he drowned in his own blood.  Silence fell for an undeterminable amount of time as the youth collapsed to his knees, then forward onto his face, still writhing faintly and then twitching in the final throes of a gruesome death.  

The fight was draining out of Locke as well, and the pause cost him dearly, he soon realized as one of the seven remaining stirred behind him.  There was time enough to turn his head and see a boy who was obviously the fallen's brother lunging at him with a face contorted into a mask of rage and a blade glinting with vengeance arcing down towards Locke's exposed back.  He would not move in time to avoid it.

The shuriken sang through the night air with a hiss and found its final destination in the boy's neck with a soft sound so powerfully that only black points protruding from the skin before the vital artery sprayed its vitae in a hot lash that stunned the thief.  The only one more stunned than Locke was the would-be killer who dropped his knife and let his hands fly to the choking itch at his throat that was killing him by the second.  

Victim number two pitched into the dirt in front of the Inn.

Confidence among the remaining six went from raging to waning in less time than it took for Clyde to reveal himself with all the grace and poise of a cat lazily strolling through its territory and clearing a path for itself with nothing more than a glance.  No one had seen him throw the projectile with such deadly accuracy and power, but nor did anyone have to see it to know.  

Breathing hard, Locke clutched at his wounded arm as he looked around slowly.  No one moved.  It was as if someone had cast a spell and frozen them in place.  The people of Thamasa did not want to go to war with these two men.  Apparently no one felt strongly enough for the two dead to speak up and invite the wrath.

Swallowing hard, the thief whipped his head around and felt himself mentally floundering as he tried to comprehend what he had just done.  What had happened? Were they going to be hanged for this? Shadow seemed unnervingly calm, catching his eye and holding it for a brief second before he made a very slight, jerking motion with his head, indicating for Locke to get moving.  

 His face may as well have been a mask for all it betrayed of the man who wore it.  Clyde said nothing, he only briefly scanned the onlookers for any signs of bravado, but it would seem that he had effectively quenched that.  When Locke started to walk towards him in a labored manner, the crowd parted to make him a path, some stares were horrified, some angry, but no one tried to stop him.

When Locke reached Shadow, the assassin spoke volumes with just another one of those slight, near-imperceptible motions that told him to keep walking.  The master assassin walked with him, backwards, keeping his eye on the crowd for a few lingering moments before he spun on his heel with the air of a lord, dismissing them all.  As they walked farther away, the thief was dismayed to see a pale-faced Relm waiting for them by a tree.  She must have seen everything.  Locke hung his head in shame.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Clyde confirmed there was no one following them as his hand dropped onto Relm's shoulder, turning her away from the scene as people began to move and talk again.  His voice was smooth, quiet and bespoke of his unshakable composure.  "We leave now.  We're going straight to the stables and getting those birds.  It would not be wise to stop for our belongings." 

"I'm coming with you…" Relm's eyes were wide as she looked up to her father, her voice distant and plaintiff rather than demanding.  

"Go home.  Interceptor will see you there safely," Even though he could not see his partner, Clyde knew that the creature was close by and keeping watch for them in case someone did get zealous.  

"I won't!" The girl found some of her usual strength, her expression turning into one of anger.  "You promised you'd take me to Corner Stone, you can't do that if you make me go home! Gramps would never let me speak to you again, you just killed two people!" 

"One.  Locke killed the other."

Hearing his name, the thief lifted his head.  He was weak from loss of blood and his arm throbbed hotly with agony where he had been cut.  "I did…?" he croaked softly.

This was getting complicated.  Mr. Cole seemed to be going into shock, Relm was calling him on a promise, and he was going to have to make a snap decision, there was no time to weigh everything.  Strago would forgive him eventually.  Possibly.  He hoped.  

_"This is a lot of shit, partner."_  Clyde addressed the mind of Interceptor, feeling the settling presence agreeing with him.  Out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash of fluid motion and the canine was padding alongside them with his head lowered, on full alert.  

"That it is.  Sort it out later, you have to get out of here and Locke is seriously injured." 

"I know." 

Act first, sort out the details later.  Hell, they had to get out of Thamasa and on their way to Corner Stone anyway, didn't they? No time like the present.  With a single nod, Clyde guided Relm and Locke towards the Chocobo stables.  As of now, the thief could walk on his own, but that may change very quickly.  

"Fine," This said to Relm, but he was not about to make any more promises.

  
 


	9. The Last Chapter The Bitter End

Author's Note: Well. Been hearing the ugly rumors for a while now, and it has finally come to pass. No more NC-17 on Fanfiction.net. It's too bad the prudes and bible-thumpin' lamers couldn't get their heads out of their asses, eh? True, none of my fiction was too terrible in the NC-17 department, but the bottom line is I won't hang around for the intolerance and I won't stand for censorship.  
  
It was fun while it lasted. Let the babies have their "non-offensive" Harry Potter Pokemon Funimation fiction site, this creative mind is taking a hike.  
  
It begins. I suggest the rest of you bail while you can before it becomes a G-rated bastion of goodwill, happy feelings, brotherly love and empty heads.  
  
Peace, all. Love to everyone who read my fictions and waited so patiently for me to post the next chapter, I'm sorry that it couldn't come due to the bullshit. Feel free to drop me a line, I do plan on picking it up with or without a place to post it.  
  
darksilk@bonbon.net  
  
Love and Hate, Perception Twist aka Korinsha aka DarkSilk & Machine Essence. 


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